Marshalls graduates struggle to meet college standards
A senior official of the College of the Marshall Islands has told a meeting of business leaders that up to 99 percent of
high school graduates in the Marshall Islands are unable to qualify for credit-level college courses.
However, the college’s vice president for academic and student affairs, John Tuthill, told the Majuro Chamber of
Commerce that the poor academic qualifications of graduating high school seniors is not just an issue for the Marshall
Islands.
Even in the United States, he said, as many as 70 percent of all high school graduates must take pre-credit college
courses before they qualify for college-level work.
In the Marshall Islands, the vast majority of students must take at least two-to-three semesters of remedial English and
math courses to improve their ability to be able to take credit level courses.
Education Secretary Biram Stege says the Ministry has started a pre-nine class at the main public high school on Majuro
this past year to give students who didn’t pass the high school entrance test another chance to raise their skills.
In addition, she said, the Ministry is working to develop an exit test for high school seniors that they are required to
pass in order to receive their diplomas.
The aim is to step-up the expectations of the teachers to reach the required academic standards for graduation.