Tonga Cabinet has never agreed to purchase a multi million dollar computer software from me and Piveni. Featured
Editor,
Allow me to point out herewith and to emphasize that I have no multi million dollar computer software and that the Tonga Cabinet has never agreed to purchase a multi million dollar computer software from me and Piveni.
In his most recent letter to the Matangi Tonga Online, Sione Mokofisi infers that I am “guilty by association.” As such, allow me to make the following clarifications.
I am currently employed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Fiji under their program called EQAP (Educational Quality and Assessment Programme). EQAP was previously known as the SPBEA (South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment). I have worked for EQAP/SPBEA since February 2006 and I am currently the Head of the Assessment Section. The debate on the scaling or standardization of student’s exam results in the region is nothing new. This has been an ongoing issue of criticism in the Fiji media and public since 2007.
It is my responsibility to seek an educational solution that will offer an alternative option to the scaling and standardization into the region’s education system. At this time, Piveni Piukala was still employed by the SPBEA as the Head of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Program. Together we worked towards finding a solution to the problem that existed.
It was also evident that the quality of education in the region was on the decline. I was inspired by my direct supervisor during the time Mr Lemalu Sanerivi and with his guidance I therefore presented in 2010 to the Board of SPBEA the anomalies contained in the current system of scaling and offered my findings which I call the SPFSC outcomes based approach (SPBEA Board Issues Paper #7, 2010). A complete version of the finding and concept was presented to the annual conference of the International Association for Educational Assessment that was held in Singapore in 2014. You can find my concept paper published in their website.
During this time, I occasionally sought Piveni’s assistance into developing a computer software that would encompass my solution for easy access. This was due to the fact that since Piveni’s departure from SPBEA in 2009, we have had no qualified computer expert with Piveni’s qualification in artificial intelligence to do the work.
In 2011 Piveni had developed the required software and I presented it to the Board of the SPBEA as a trial for my outcome based assessment approach (SPFSC Board Update Paper, 2011). Piveni developed the new trial software at no cost to the SPBEA. This new approach was being trailed in 2011, for one subject only in the regional Form 7 exams. In 2012 it extended to 4 subjects and in 2013 the new approach has been applied to all subjects in SPFSC Form 7 regional examination.
Although this new approach has been applied to SPFSC Form 7 level only, I am confident that it will be just as useful if applied across the board to all levels of assessment and education in the region.
In 2014, I presented an updated version of my approach and is published at the VAKA PASIFIKA Conference in Tonga. I have credited every person I sought advice from including Dr. Visesio Pongi, Mr Peter Davies, Mr Lemalu Sanerivi and Piveni Piukala. However, the work itself is my own independent findings.
Piveni Piukala started working for the SPBEA as an ICT Consultant in 2005, when Dr. Visesio Pongi was still Director. His main responsibility was being a software developer and one of the software he developed was called the Stallion software which was a system’s approach prepared by Dr. Visesio Pongi. He then worked as a full time employee of the SPBEA from 2007 – 2009 as a software developer and looked after our ICT program. Piveni was also hired in 2012 as a consultant to develop a new software on Risk Management also designed by Dr. Visesio Pongi.
In December 2012 to June 2014 Piveni was again hired as a consultant by SPBEA to develop the software that would eventually embrace my findings (the SPFSC outcome based approach). There is still alot of work before this software is considered complete. To date, Piveni is one of the highly qualified artificial intelligence software expert that has developed computer software that addresses the local context of individual countries.
SPBEA (EQAP) is working with the educational system of Tuvalu by first taking into context the local curriculum. The same can be said for Samoa where Piveni is also working as an ICT consultant for the Samoan Government. I am hopeful that the outcomes based approach is up and running for some countries in the region by 2016. One of my responsibilities as an SPBEA (EQAP) assessment specialist is to provide support and alternative assessment options for the countries, and therefore promote this new outcome based assessment approach in the region. It is an educational solution - not a computer software product.
Each country in the region is welcome to decide on who they wish to employ or hire as an ICT consultant to develop their software system to be in compliance with their local context. This software system must be able to embrace the system of intelligence and common sense that any assessment approach introduces, with the local context of each education system and needs analysis. This is the expertise and intelligence offered by Piveni.
To conclude, I believe without doubt that the intentions of Sione Mokofisi and Matangi Tonga Online, is to invent dirt on my father as Prime Minister and was done with bad and malicious intent. There is no other alternative for me, but to take legal proceedings.
Faka’apa’apa atu
Siaosi 'O Vailahi Pohiva
For further information please contact Siaosi Pohiva on email; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone (679) 8096245
6 comments
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KAIKEHE, na'e te'eki ke tali ia e he Kapineti, ka koeni kuo totongi ia. Maalie ee ... Ka ne ko ha me'a ena a ha toe minisita ange e taha pe ko ha taha 'oku nau fehi'a kiai kuo ta'aki he'enau Kele'a, ka koena kuo nau a'u kiai, kohai 'e toe tui ki hanau hako mo e hako mo e hako, he ko e tefito'i loi eni 'oku 'ela he sea!
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finemotua tapu ala mai finemui pe ngofua ke ala mai !"! toe ake manatu kihe taimi kaikuava.hihihi.
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'Oku malie pe a toe lesoni 'a e paenga 'o 'etau felafoaki. He kuo tuku'osi mai e la 'o e vaka 'o e Lotava. 'Oku fakamahino mai 'e Siaosi 'ene ngaue mo 'ene felave'i mo Piveni mo e ngaue kuonau fai. Ha'u ai foki mo hono ngaahi lakanga mo e fatongia pea 'oku malie he iku'anga ko e hopo. Ngalingali 'e humai 'a Siaosi 'o malu'i e kapineti mo 'ene tangata'eiki. Ka 'oku 'ikai foki ke pehe mai 'ehe tangata ia mei he Heilala ko tapu ngatata 'oku 'iai ha hala pea 'oku ne 'oku fakaha 'e ia ki mamani ko e me'a 'ena ia 'oku ou lama. Ngali 'e hoko atu 'e Siaosi Pohiva 'a e 'ave ki falehopo 'a e kakai 'o e fonua. Make my day.
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na'e iai enau totonu kenau fakailo Akilisi pea oku iai e totonu ke fakailo ha fakaanga oku tukuakii loi kae fair kae oua e pehe ke oua fai fakailo he koe tama Akilisi ne fakaanga lahi he oku hala mama'o aupito ia.
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Talamaiange 'eha taha pe kuo 'iai ha Palemia 'o Tonga 'i he kuohili 'e ngutu lau mo mio'i 'o hange koe Palemia lolotonga?
Talamaiange 'eha taha pe kuo 'iai ha Palemia 'o Tonga 'e mo'ua tu'olahitaha he fakamaau'anga tupunga 'i ha ngaahi mahalo kovi moha lototaaufehi'a 'o mo'ua ai he fakamaau'anga?
Talamaiange 'eha taha he fonuani pe ko e ngaahi famili lahi eni 'e fiha kuo tapalasia 'e 'Akilisi mo 'ene Kele'a, 'o 'ikai ha toe ufi mai ki he ngaahi famili ko ia kuo tapalasia?
Talamaiange 'eha taha he fonuani kohai na'a ne fakaanga'i lahi taha mo laukovi ki he fale 'o e Tu'i 'i he kuohili 'o a'u mai ki he lolotonga ni?
Koeha 'oku toe matatangi ai 'a Siaosi Pohiva he fakaanga atu kiai kae hili koia 'oku 'ikai ke ofi ha taha 'i he mahalokovi mo e lau'ikovi kia 'Akilisi Pohiva? -
Thank you, Siaosi Pohiva for your enlightenment on your profession. Even if I was editor of Matangi Tonga Online, I would not even publish this letter of yours. It's self promotion, and does not address the "facts" I've stated in my letters. (1) You are hung up (obsessed) with the Cabinet question, which even Piveni Piukala also stated his "fact" on TV Tonga interview with Viola Ulakai (March 18, 2015). that the Prime Minister will have to make the final decision because he is the Minister of Education. Piven said that they would have given the computer program to Tonga for free if it had not for the Education Department's rejection of his proposal. (2). Of course the Cabinet has not approved it, but you and your buddies seem to have a reading-comprehension problem: I've never said that the Cabinet has approved it. Please go read my original letter to Matangi Tonga Online. (3) And you are listing here other things that I never wrote: (a) "corruption" was your own word in your accusation of Matangi Tonga Online. (4) I never wrote that you are using your influence as PM's son for personal benefits; I wrote that Piveni Piukala told Viola Ulakai on TV Tonga that you two have a working relationship, and he wished that you were in Tonga to take "credit" for the work you've done and completed in 2013. (5) I never wrote that I accuse the Tongan Cabinet of corruption, fraudulent and not in the interest of the nation. You wrote all those, not me. (5) And you accused me and Matangi Tonga Online of working against the government, etc., etc. You have no proof and the editor of Matangi Tonga Online has made an ethical journalism decision not publish your letter: You must have proof, otherwise what you are accusing us of is just hearsay (hot air).