Tonga needs quality education that is recognized internationally Featured
Letter to the Editor
Tonga needs quality education that is recognized internationally
Nuku’alofa, 7 June 2016
Editor,
Listening to the message from the Throne during the opening of Parliament on June 2nd where His Majesty referred to Education as one of the three key challenges for the government (Health and Economy being the other two) , and taking note of what has transpired in the Ministry of Education over the last sixteen months, I can't help but support Dr. Sitiveni Halapua's view in his letter to the editor of Matangi Tonga on 1 June 2016 that it is time to work towards improving the quality of education rather than destroying it.
Given the challenge for the government from His Majesty during the opening of Parliament, “Oku fiema’u ke hiki hake ‘a e akó ki ha tu’unga fakatu’apule’anga pea ke fakatokanga’i ‘i Tu’apule’anga” the Ministry of Education should now take up the challenge seriously and develop a roadmap for achieving this challenge. Improving quality education to a level that is recognized internationally is not an easy undertaking and requires a holistic reform of the education system and not a quick-fix or ad hoc approach such as changing to raw marks or introducing a new IT programme or doing away with internal assessment, as that would only add to the current confusion.
To improve the quality of education, the focus and commitment should be directed towards what matters most in education, the student, and what it takes to improve their learning (knowledge, skills and attitudes) to a level where they can be competitive regionally and internationally. This can be achieved by; supporting teachers to improve the effectiveness of their teaching, encouraging school principals and head teachers to support teachers by ensuring that the school environment is conducive for teaching and learning, engaging parents and the community to direct their support towards improving student learning, that is what will improve the quality of education.
In addition, making sure that a relevant curriculum that clearly articulates the learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and values) expected of our children is in place, with an assessment system that focuses on assessing the extent to which students have acquired the knowledge, the skills and the values outlined in the learning outcomes.
The ongoing discussions about examinations, more specifically on 'raw marks' versus 'standardized marks' and recently on 'Internal Assessment' (IA) are but distractions from the main issue of the declining quality of education that His Majesty highlighted in his message to the country during the opening of Parliament. While the preoccupation with Raw Marks vs Standardized Marks, as well as Internal Assessment are important and need to be resolved urgently, they have little influence on the overall quality of education as examination serves different purposes.
Examination only provides a measure of what a student can answer correctly, or incorrectly, in the examination at a certain point in time. Analysis and interpretation of the marks students score on the examination are then carried out to provide information on what students can do which helps in providing a pathway for further higher level studies including university studies. While incumbent government can put in place systems, including processes and procedures, that it considers appropriate and within its mandate, it must make sure that it has the evidence to make sure that the new system, as well as the appropriate processes and procedures, would lead to improvement in the system.
Unfortunately this has not been the case with the changes to the examinations system in Tonga as claims about the weaknesses or failures of the old system are not based on any research or valid evidence, rather it is based only on the perceptions of certain people who have no authority in the field of assessment.
The latest change to the internal assessment is again a clear example of the ad hoc changes that are taking place where the claim against the evil of internal assessment, as has been the case with standardized scores, is unfounded and not based on any research or valid evidence. The assertion that internal assessment is a ‘sin’ is one of the biggest mis-information one can put forward in the area of assessment and indicates either a total lack of understanding of the rationale for having internal assessment or a personal perception of those making the claim.
Without internal assessment, one can only assume that the assessment of what a student “can do” will be based only on the external examinations. If this is the intention, then it contradicts the earlier claim in support of “raw marks” as the external examinations cannot assess all of what a student can do. It cannot assess important skills such as research skills, practical skills, computer skills, etc, thus making the examination and the raw marks it generates an invalid measure of what students can do. The inclusion of internal assessment provides the opportunity to assess the knowledge and skills in those areas that the external examination cannot assess, therefore complementing the external examinations and enhancing the validity of the qualification.
The Examinations and Assessment Unit highlighted this in its review of the 2015 cycle especially the need for the assessment to be valid. Unfortunately it has not been given any serious consideration. The assertion and blame directed towards internal assessment has nothing to do with internal assessment as a sound and internationally recognized and adopted form of assessment.
Instead the blame, if evidence is available, should be directed towards those who are responsible for implementing the internal assessment in the way it was meant to be carried out, the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education should take responsibility for any failure to implement the internal assessment correctly and make sure that every participating school and teachers implement the internal assessment as intended instead of pointing the finger at the internal assessment which is a sound assessment approach adopted internationally.
Faka’apa’apa Atu,
Dr. Visesio Pongi
43 comments
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Mea fakalata mooni etau laukonga he ngaahi taalanga kakano mo poini oe kolomu koeni kae fakaefiefi hake kii poini mahaia a loholoho. Ka ne koau koe kou ma au he taupusi hoosi hake kihe taalanga a e kau Ikata'ane.
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MARK HANSON..."YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD."
Nofo atu e fānaú 'a Piveni 'i Fisi 'oku nau faka'aonga'i 'a e founga "standardize". He 'oku 'ikai tali 'e Fisi ia 'ena ki'i "faked software" mo Siaosi.
Pea ko e fānau 'a e kau tu'umālié (elites) tenau folau ki muli 'o ma'u e 'univēsiti kenau hokoatu ai. Ka ko 'eta fānaú 'oku nau fihia 'i Tongá ni ko 'etau masivá, pea koe'uhi ko e fakasesele 'a e PM mo 'ene ongo pone ko Piveni mo Siaosi. -
'Oku ou faka'apa'apa'i e me'a 'oku lave kiai 'a Dr Visesio Pongi ke langa e ako. Ka 'i he taimi tatau 'oku totonu ke tau tukulolo kotoa kihe tu'utu'uni 'a e Minisita Ako ke ngaue'aki e Raw Marks. Ko e founag pe ia 'e langa ai e ako he ngaahi 'aho ni. 'Oku 'ikai ko ha me'a faingata'a ia he na'e toki liliu pe mei Raw Marks ki he Misini Pamu he ta'u 'e 10 kuo hili. Katoa e kakai koia na'a nau 'enisinia'i e Misini Pamu Maaka na'a nau hu kotoa ki he 'Univesiti 'aki e Raw Marks. Ko Piveni na'e hu ki he 'Univesiti 'aki e Raw Marks. Ko e palopalema faingofua eni ia ka ko e tou loto pe ke lelei kae lava e ngaue. Fekau e kau faiako ke nau fai faka'utumauku 'enau ngaue kae 'oua 'e fakatamulu mo talitali pe ke Pamu e maaka e fanau. 'Oku hange eni ia he lau 'a Mark Hansen 'e mate ha taha he to he sivi. 'Oku ou tui kapau ko ha papalangi 'a Piveni Piukala he'ikai ha toe lea kae liliu leva ki he Raw Marks. Malo mo e 'ofa
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Ko piveni foki 'oku nofo Fisi hono famili, pea ako 'i Fisi 'ene fanau. Pea 'oku ha'u leva ia 'o va'inga vale he ako 'a Tonga ni he taumaia 'e uesia ai 'ene fanau 'a'ana. Ka 'oku 'ikai foki fakatokanga'i 'ehe kau poupou 'o akilisi mo piveni e me'a ko eni. 'Oku tui kuikui foki e kau poupou 'oe tu'i-temo ki he'ene ngaahi loi moe fasitu'u, kae 'ikai ke nau fakatokanga'i koe palopalema ko eni 'oku hoko he ako 'i Tonga ni 'oku ne uesia kotoa e fanau ako 'o kau ai mo 'enau fanau, fanau 'ae kau minisita, fanau 'ae kau falealea, fanau 'ae kakai kotoa pe 'i Tonga ni. Ka 'oku tau faka'amu ange pe 'e hu e laumalie 'ofa faka Kalisitaine moe 'ofa fonua he kau fakafofonga tautefito ki he kau minisita, ke nau fai 'ofa 'enau fakaha loto kae lava ke fakahaofi 'etau fanau mo hotau ngaahi hako mei he fu'u sunami ko eni 'oku 'omai 'ehe palemia kene faka'auha e ako he fonua ni. 'Oku 'iai e kau minisita 'oku ma'olunga 'enau tui fakalotu mo 'enau tu'unga fakamolale moe 'ofa fonua, kou tui kuo nau sio kihe me'a 'oku hoko pea te nau fai e me'a 'oku totonu moe me'a 'oku tui ki ai honau konisenisi. Koe kau minisita ko eni 'oku kau ai a Semisi Fakahau, Dr 'Aisake Eke, Dr Pohiva Tui'onetoa moe ni'ihi kehe pe. Koe fa'ahinga eni 'oku nau pukepuke e mafai ke tamate'i pe fakahaofi e kakai 'o Tonga tautefito ki he fanau ako koe kaha'u 'o e fonua. 'E 'osi ange fili fakaha loto ko eni koe me'a pe 'e tu'u he hisitolia koe fa'ahinga eni na'a nau fakahaofi 'a Tonga, PE, koe fa'ahinga eni na'a nau tuki tapuni e puha mate 'oe kaha'u 'oe fonau.
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Koe kakai 'eni na'a nau kakau'i mai e potungaue pea na'a nau 'ilo e hala fononga na'e fakatoka 'ehe potungaue he na'a nau hook koe kau fale'i ma'ae potungaue ako 'o a'u pe ki hu mai 'a e PM o hook ko e Minisita.. me'apango koe fetakai 'a e fa'ahinga ni pea moe tangata'eiki ta'eufi mo fiepoto lahi ko 'eni mo ene kakai oku 'ikai ha'anau visone ma'ae fonua.. he'ikai ha toe fakapoto ki he Minisita ko'eni kae oleva kuo fai e fili pea tuku atu a kitu'a moe lahi 'ene anga vale he potungaue oku ako'i ai e hako 'o e fonua...
"Oku faingofua ange fetakai moe pea he fetakai moe vale".. hahahaha... Ka koe vale fiepoto oku toe fakatu'utamaki ange ia he vale oku ne 'ilo'i hono ngata'anga.. -
'Oku hounga kiate au me'a valee 'a e 'omai 'e Kingi Tupou VI (tapu mo ia) 'a e siate folau 'o 'ene maa'imoa ma'a Tonga;; pea fakamalo atu Dr. Visesio Pongi hono 'omai 'a e 'analaiso mahu'inga mo e fale'i fakapotopotoo ke lave ai 'a Tonga. Ka tau fakaongo ai ki he Pule'angaa. Malo & 'ofa atu
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Mou faka'uta ange aa kakai ki he kakano 'o e 'ilo moe taukei 'a e kakai potoo, 'ene 'opo lelei moe too folofola 'a Tupou VI. Kapau temou fakahoa e lau 'a Dr Visesio Pongi mo Dr Sitiveni Halapua (Matangi Tonga) pea moe faka'uhinga mamaha mo ngangau 'a 'Akilisi mo Piveni pea 'oku tau ongo'i maa ki mamani, mo faka'ofa'ia he kaha'u 'etau fanauako. Tatau tofu pe lau 'ae ongo Dr moe fale'i na'e haa 'i he Lipooti 'a e Va'a Sivi na' e 'osi 'ave ki he Minisita kae 'ikai pe ha 'utu 'e hakea. Na'e haa mei ha ki'i fakataha 'a e Minisita Ako na'e fai he mahina kuo 'osi, 'a e tui ange pe 'a e Minisita ia kia Piveni, Mele 'Amanaki, Finau Tutone, Viliami Fale'i Fangamonumanu moe 'otu. Na'e si'i uki hake foki ki he fakataha koia moe kau Pule Fakavahe & kau 'Ofisakolo ke pehee tokua koe Fakataha Fakafonua (National) 'a Tonga ki he Ako. Kae hili koia koe ki'i fakataha katuni pe ia 'a e Minisita & Piveni. Kae 'ofa mai aa koe CEO Koloti 'o loto lahi ange 'ia Ponepate. Ke yes yes pe pea 'ai mo ki'i unlike ki ha fale'i hala 'a e Minisita 'e 'oatu. Kae tuku aa e talangofua vale he 'oku ke poto ange koe 'iai mo 'ene kau feke.
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Tangane Dr. Pongi e fakamaama ki he fonua 'i he fu'u taimi faingata'a kuo pulonga ai 'a Tonga pea kafo ai e fanau mo e hakotupu 'o e fonua.
I hope that the Minister of Education will humbly seek the advise of experts in the field and not that of the two buttinskis that have been causing turmoils to the nation. I also hope that the Ministry would act with urgency, as Dr. Pongi suggested to develop a conceptual framework & roadmap that will safeguard the children of Tonga from the detrimental effects imposed by the current education reform. Getting it right begins with ensuring that students are placed at the heart of the assessment process and in ways that will develop their capability to assess and improve their own learning. This means that the assessment capabilities of teachers and school principals need to be developed too, which also means that before they could subscribe to the centrally promoted approaches to assessment that the incumbent government advocates. Teachers need to be convinced of their benefits for teaching and learning and not forced to adopt a 'compliancy mentality'.
Please do not deprive our children from their right to quality education. -
Malo Dr Pongi pea 'oku 'ikai ha toe fehu'ia e me'a 'oku ke lau ki ai mo 'ene mahu'inga ki he me'a ne folofola ki ai e Tama Tu'i. Kae pango he kuo 'ikai pe toe fie fanongo e pm ia ki ha taha mo ha toe 'uhinga 'aha taha. 'Oku tui pe ia ki hono foha mo 'ene ki'i 'ilo nounou mo mamaha he mala'e 'oe assessment. Kuo mole ho taimi 'o'ou moe kau poto mo'oni hono 'omai e ngaahi fale'i lelei mo fakapalofesinale ka 'oku hange koe lau, ko hono laku atu e tofe ki he moa.
Tau faka'amu kotoa pe 'e hoko ha me'a lelei e fili fakahaloto ko eni 'oku laulea ki ai e kakai. Pea ka hoko 'etau faka'amu pea mou foki mai leva ke toe feinga'i ke langa e vaka 'oe ako, he kuo ta'e'aonga he ngaue 'ae kau poto fo'ou ko eni 'ae pm. -
Well said Dr. Pongi.