Teachers are the interface between students and their learning. They create the learning environment and engage and nurture their students’ learning. It is critical that they have the resources they need to teach and feel confident in their ability to deliver good quality teaching to their students.

One of the PILNA contextual questionnaires was completed by teachers (teacher questionnaire). In addition to background information about the teachers themselves, questions were asked about the level of resourcing they had at their disposal, the difficulties they felt their students were facing, and their perceptions of their own performance and the challenges they were facing. Their responses provide first-hand evidence of the daily realities for teachers working throughout the Pacific region and in Tonga.

Where appropriate, findings reported in the following sections have a student focus: any challenges and experiences are highlighted from a student perspective. This means that statistics are based on the proportion of PILNA 2021 students who have teachers who report a range of beliefs and experiences. For example, instead of saying ‘X% of teachers reported Y’, the findings will state: ‘X% of students had a teacher who reported Y’. This is possible because all student PILNA results are linked with their teachers’ PILNA questionnaire and their school leaders’ PILNA questionnaire. This allows readers to connect with the findings more effectively.