PRESS RELEASE ON PELT RESULTS

Apia, Samoa – Thursday, 16 February 2023: The National University of Samoa wishes to clarify that the Proficiency in English Language Test (or PELT) is a diagnostic test that the Faculty of Arts (FoA) administer early in Semester 1 every year, to determine the level of English proficiency that students enter with into the Foundation programme from Year 13. The PELT results are then used by the FoA English lecturers for class purposes to tailor their teaching accordingly. 

The PELT results for the 2021 and 2022 Foundation students (who sat SSLC in 2020 and 2021 respectively) was shared at the Principals’ Conference on 27 January 2023 by our Faculty of Arts English Team led by Professor Silafau Sina Vaai. The PELT 2022 results showed that only 33.5% were proficient (passed) while the other 66.5% were not proficient (failed). While this is significant it is not new if we consider the low literacy and numeracy passrates in primary and secondary over the past decade. Professor Silafau’s presentation was geared toward principals to highlight some of the specific basic English language difficulties that students bring to the University after spending 12-13 years in our Education System. It was a reminder to principals that we have a collective responsibility to do more to help our students learn the basics, otherwise we are setting them up to fail at tertiary level.

The University wishes to emphasise that the PELT results are used to inform the teaching of English which has led to improved HEN004 Foundation English final results every year.

PEPA O FA’AMATALAGA MO I’UGA O LE SU’EGA O LE PELT

Apia, Samoa – Aso Tofi, 16 Fepuari 2023:: Ua faamanino e le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa o le Su’ega o le PELT (Proficiency in English Language Test) poo le Su’ega e Saili ai le Lelei o le Gagana Peretania, o se su’ega e masani ona fa’aaoga e faiaoga o le Gagana Peretania a le tatou Iunivesite i le amataga o tausaga ta’itasi e fa’amautinoa ai le tulaga o lo’o iai le lelei poo le lē lelei o le Gagana Peretania a tama ma teine ua ulufale mai i le Polokalame o le Tausaga Faavae mai le Tausaga 13. O i’uga o lenei su’ega e fa’aaoga e faia’oga o le Gagana Peretania e fua iai le a’oa’oina o a latou vasega ina ia malamalama lelei tama ma teine aoga. 

O i’uga o le Su’ega o le PELT mo le Tausaga Faavae o le 2021 ma le 2022 (o i latou fo’i ia sa su’e le latou SSLC i le 2020 ma le 2021) sa fa’aali manino i se folasaga sa saunia e nisi o faiaoga o le Gagana Peretania a le tatou Iunivesite sa ta’ita’ia e le Afioga i le Tamaitai Polofesa ia Silafau Sina Vaai i le Fonotaga a Uluaoga i le aso 27 o Ianuari 2023. Sa faaalia ai mai I’uga o le 2022, e 33.5% o i latou na su’e i lea su’ega ua lelei le latou Gagana Peretania (pasi), ae o leisi 66.5% e le’i lelei (lē pasi). E le o se i’uga fou, pe’a fua i le maualalalo o maka o le Gagana Peretania ma le Matematika i Aoga Tulagalua ma Kolisi i le sefulu tausaga ua mavae. O lenei folasaga sa tapena faapitoa e momoli sa’o lava mo le silafia e Ulua’oga le tulaga o faafitauli o le Gagana Peretania e aofia ai nisi o vaega faavae o le gagana sa tatau ona a’oa’oina i Aoga Tulagalua ma Kolisi, ae peita’i ua o’o mai lava nisi o tama ma teine aoga i le Iunivesite o loo atagia ai faafitauli nei, e ui ina ua mae’a le 12-13 tausaga i totonu o a tatou a’oga. O le naunauta’iga a faiaoga o le Gagana Peretania faapea le tatou Iunivesite Aoao ia galulue faatasi ma Ulua’oga ma le Matagaluega o Aoga, Taaloga ma Aganuu ina ia ave le fesoasoani talafeagai i alo ma fanau o loo mo’omia le fesoasoani ina ia mafai ona ausia agava’a eseese o le Gagana Peretania ua faatulaga mai e le silapasi mo lea tausaga ma lea tausaga, ae le’i o’o mai i le tatou Iunivesite.   

E ao pea ona toe faamanatu atu e le tatou Iunivesite, o I’uga o le Su’ega o le PELT o lo’o fa’aaogaina e fa’aleleia ai le a’oa’oina o le mataupu o le Gagana Peretania ma ua matauina ai lava le siitia o i latou e pasi a latou mataupu o le HEN004 po’o le Gagana Peretania o le Tausaga Faavae i tausaga ta’itasi.

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