Tonga’s participation in the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment 2021 revealed that only 38% of boys and 56% of girls in year 4 meet the minimum reading proficiency standard. The 2021 national secondary examination for math had a pass rate of 17%.
Tonga is working with GPE and other partners to improve literacy at the early childhood and primary education levels and numeracy at the secondary level, with a focus on improving learning for boys, children from poorer families and children with disabilities.
Tonga’s Partnership Compact explains that this priority reform aligns with national development strategies and encourages a foundation for lifelong learning that will help Tongans contribute to the economy.
To give students a strong start, Tonga will increase enrollment in early childhood education and improve the skills and content knowledge of early childhood and primary teachers. Increasing inclusive curriculum materials, especially for reading in Tongan, aims to enhance students' literacy skills.
At the secondary level, scholarships, extracurricular activities, parent and community engagement, and more qualified male teachers are expected to boost enrollment and reduce gender disparities in access and learning.
To improve students’ numeracy skills, teacher training and curriculum improvements will focus on math.
