THE Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) released the 2024 National Exam results and students’ placement for the 2025 academic year, which saw hundreds of students being left out from the formal education system.
The examination results and student placements were received with a mixture of excitement and sadness by parents – excitement to parents of students who performed well and secured placements to continue their studies and sadness by parents of students who did not achieve the pass score and could not secure any placement to continue the formal education process.
For the Form 3 to Form 4 transition, a total of 5,326 students were successfully placed in schools, yet a staggering 4,126 students remain unplaced. The situation raises alarms about the increasing number of students that were unable to secure their placement, highlighting a potential crisis in transitioning between key educational levels.
In the Form 5 to Form 6 placement results, 3,183 students were placed, while 3,486 students were left without placement. This trend indicates that the gap between the number of available spots and the number of students seeking education at this level has widened, underscoring a critical need for additional resources and planning in the education sector.
The statistics were even more drastic for the Form 6 to Form 7 cohort, where only 792 students were placed, leaving an extraordinary 4,400 students unplaced. This discrepancy points to significant challenges facing the upper secondary education system, which may lead to increased concerns regarding educational opportunities for the youth in the Solomon Islands.
Recently, the Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale called on MEHRD to immediately investigate the persistent high failure rates in national examinations so as to implement effective measures to improve academic performance.
“The latest data exposes an alarming trend. Far too many of our students are failing. MEHRD must understand why this is happening and take immediate action to address it,” MP Wale said.
MP Wale stressed that resolving this issue would require a comprehensive study to uncover and understand the underlying causes.
He said reckless policy decisions by the Government have undoubtedly contributed negatively to the situation.
“The government’s explicit choice to shorten the 2023 academic year for the Pacific Games added to the significant disruptions already caused by COVID. This prioritization of the games in Honiara over the education of young Solomon Islanders throughout all of Solomon Islands was a clear betrayal of our young people’s potential and the sacrifices of their families.”
Community leaders and parents have expressed frustration over the situation, voicing concerns about the detrimental impact on youth education and future employment opportunities.
“Every child deserves a chance to continue their education. We cannot let our youth fall through the cracks,” a local community leader said.
Calls for a comprehensive review of the educational system are growing louder. Stakeholders are urging for increased investment in schools, teacher training programmes and infrastructure development to ensure that every student in the country has a pathway to education and a brighter future.
By JIMMY NOLAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
