this discussion was the finding by the 2000 Education Commission panel that
parents perceive examinations as the best measure of students’ academic
performance and learning achievement. Many parents did not agree with
the reduction of examinations despite having had the benefits of alternative
approaches explained to them (Koya, 2008, p.29). The commission noted that
this ‘certification mentality’ appears to be deeply entrenched (Sadler, 2000,
pp. 344–45). Two months after the September 2014 elections, the newly
appointed Minister for Education made the announcement that two of the
national examinations that had been cancelled may be reintroduced in years
6 and 10 as benchmark assessments (Soveraki, 2014).
Policy directions
Fiji is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, an organization that aims to
foster cooperation between member-country governments and international
agencies to enhance the well-being of the people of the Pacific. In 2001, the
organization published the Forum Basic Education Action Plan (FBEAP 2001–
2008), the first regional education policy document in the Pacific islands. Its
goal was ‘to achieve universal and equitable educational participation and
achievement; and to ensure access and equity and improve quality and
outcomes’ (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, 2001, p. 2). The FBEAP presented
an urgent call for ‘better quality development and education outcomes’,
focusing on improving various facets of education, including teacher
competency, the quality and relevance of teaching materials, methods of
teaching, learning styles and assessment (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat,
2001, p. 4).
The second regional policy framework was released in 2009, the Pacific
Education and Development Framework (PEDF 2009–2015). While the FBEAP
provided loose guidelines for member countries to adapt and implement
at the national policy level, the PEDF fleshed out the regional priority areas
and outputs. The vision of the PEDF is quality education for all, supported by
the mission: ‘to enable each Pacific learner to develop all his/her talents and
creativities to the full and thereby enabling each person to take responsibility
for his/her own life and make a meaningful contribution to the social,
cultural and economic development of Pacific society’ (Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat, 2009, p. 5).
The PEDF has six Sub-Sector Education (SSE) themes. One of these (SSE 5)
is Teacher Development. Recognizing the need for increased and improved