Revised Secondary Maths Curriculum (RSMC) Instructional Adviser - Australia Fiji Education Fiji Program

Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP)

• Short Term Personnel (50 working-days) 
• Remote – home based with travel to Suva, Fiji 
• Open to both National and International Applicants

• Please apply online by submitting a cover letter addressing how you meet the selection criteria of this role and up-to-date comprehensive CV

Program Overview:    

The Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP or the ‘Platform’) is a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment that contributes to the delivery of Fiji’s national development priorities, in line with the Australia’s International Development Policy, the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership and the Development Partnership Plan.  

The Platform delivers key bilateral programs, such as health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance, climate and emergency preparedness and response. Platform activities identify and address climate risks, promote climate action, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across and beyond the sector programs. 

The Platform has three functional Outcomes: 

1. The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments.
2. The Platform has prioritised gender equality, disability-inclusive development, and climate and disaster resilience, in its systems and practices. This includes in how it undertakes sector programming and its engagement with selected Government of Fiji (GoF) agencies.
3. The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money; maximises use of local supply chains; and supports good governance, and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management.

AFEP Overview:

The Australian Government is supporting Fiji’s education sector through the Australia Fiji Education Program (AFEP, the Program) working with the Ministry of Education (MoE). 

The objective of the AFEP is “to work with the Government of Fiji under the Vuvale Partnership to catalyse quality education delivery for all Fijian children”. 

The changes expected by the end of the five-year program are: 

• EOPO 1: Schools, particularly trial schools, have improved student literacy and numeracy outcomes, supported by enabling policies, plans and data from the Ministry of Education. 
• EOPO 2: Heads of schools and teachers, supported by enabling policies and data from the Ministry of Education, provide a safe, resilient and inclusive learning environment for all students, particularly in trial schools. 

Four intermediate outcomes will provide pathways to meet these end of program outcomes in priority areas, like implementation of the revised literacy and numeracy curriculum in primary and secondary schools, professional development interventions, analysis and improvement of the Fiji Education Management Information System (FEMIS), as well as GEDSI and student wellbeing.  

The funding for the program is approximately AUD45 million over 9 years (5 years, with an option to extend for a further 4 years) and delivered through a range of activities to achieve the program’s objectives. Implementation modalities include technical advice, procurement of technical services and goods, minor works and infrastructure upgrades, capacity building and training support, support to Ministry led initiatives and innovations, and grants to civil society organisations (CSOs). 

Position Summary: 

The Government of Fiji, through the Ministry of Education (MoE), is implementing the Revised Secondary Maths Curriculum Framework (RSMC) to strengthen competency-based learning, improve foundational and higher-order skills, and align the education system with national development priorities. To date, MoE has developed and rolled-out the Yr 9 RSMC. To support effective implementation of the Year 10 Mathematics curriculum, the Ministry requires the development of high-quality instructional tools that are curriculum-aligned, teacher-friendly, and responsive to diverse learner needs.

The Advisor will develop a comprehensive package of instructional tools for Year 10 Mathematics aligned with the RSMC that will: (i) Improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices; (ii) support competency-based and student-centred pedagogy; (iii) strengthen formative assessment practices; and (iv) enhance student understanding, problem-solving, and application skills 

Key Responsibilities:

The Advisor will support MoE and AFEP to undertake the following:

Task 1: Review and Analysis

• Review relevant documents including: RSMC, Year 10 Mathematics syllabus and assessment guidelines, existing teaching and learning materials
• Identify key competencies, learning outcomes, and content areas requiring instructional support
• Analyse common learning gaps and teaching challenges 

Task 2: Development of Instructional Tools

Develop a structured package of instructional resources, including: 

• Teacher Instructional Guides: curriculum-aligned lesson plans covering key topics; pedagogical approaches (e.g., inquiry-based, problem-based learning); practical guidance for lesson delivery in varied classroom contexts; and, time allocation and pacing guidance
• Student Learning Materials: activity sheets and structured exercises; contextualised problem-solving tasks reflecting Fiji’s environment; differentiated learning tasks to cater for diverse student groups including gender-sensitive approaches and by ability levels
• Formative and Summative Assessment Tools: classroom-based assessment tasks (quizzes, short tests, performance tasks); rubrics and marking schemes aligned to competency levels; tools to support ongoing assessment and feedback
• Supplementary Teaching Aids: worked examples and mathematical models: visual aids and representations; and, guidance for low-resource and digitally supported environments
• All materials, products and outputs developed under this assignment become the property of Fiji’s Ministry of Education and maybe modified and disseminated without restriction.

Task 3: Best practice, GEDSI and CDR Considerations

Identify and document existing GEDSI and CDR considerations. Ensure that all outputs: promote equity and inclusion, including gender-responsive approaches; address the needs of diverse and disabled learners, including students in remote and underserved areas; reflect principles of effective teaching and learning under resource constraints; align with evidence-based international best practices in mathematics education; and, incorporate climate disaster resilience (CDR) subject matter and how mathematics supports CDR  

Task 4: Stakeholder Consultation and Validation

Provide technical advice and know-how through practical and experiential guidance, including: participate in technical discussions with MoE and the AFEP team; support MoE and AFEP in the presentation of draft materials for review and validation; and support the revision of outputs based on consolidated feedback.  

Task 5: Quality Assurance

Support MoE and AFEP through: consistency, accuracy, and pedagogical quality; alignment with curriculum standards and assessment frameworks; and maintain clear, user-friendly formatting for teachers. 

Key Deliverables:

• Inception report with refined methodology, curriculum analysis and workplan
• Draft Instructional Package, specifically

1. Teacher Instructional Guides
2. Student Learning Materials
3. Formative and Summative Assessment Tools
4. Supplementary Teaching Aids

•  Revised Instructional Package
•  Finalised report with actionable recommendations 

Expected Timeline :

The services are expected to be implemented during a five-month period from contract signature, with a total of 50 working days. AFEP will provide all reasonable travel, accommodation and other in-country costs associated and required for successful contract implementation, as required. Please include indicative allocation of time in your expression of interest. 

Key Working Relationships: 

The Advisor will report to the Team Leader, AFEP. S/he will work directly with the AFEP team, MoE Curriculum Advisory Services (CAS) and in collaboration with MoE Examinations and Assessment Unit (AEU).  

Selection Criteria: 

The Advisor should have the following qualifications/experience

• Advanced degree in Mathematics Education, Educational Assessment or related field 
• At least 10 years of experience in mathematics curriculum advisory services, instructional strategies and summative and formative assessment
• Proven experience working with the introduction of new pedagogies and curriculum reform in the developing context, ideally with competency-based education approaches
• Proven experience working with the development of sustainable approaches for teacher professional development, within a resource-limited environment
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills
• Experience in Pacific and/or Small Island contexts and/or comparable education systems (desirable) 

How to Apply: