KOROR, Palau — President Surangel Whipps Jr. criticized the Senate for rejecting his nominee for Minister of Education, Dr. Dale Jenkins, and for failing to act on the appointment of Kaleb Udui Jr. as Minister of Finance.
“Enough is enough! We need to work based on facts, not feelings,” Whipps said during a press conference on March 19.
Dispute Over Education Performance Data
Whipps asserted that the Senate’s decision to reject Jenkins was based on misinformation in the committee’s report. He took issue with claims that the Ministry of Education (MOE) was “failing its mission” and that students’ academic performance was declining.
Oyaol Ngirairikl, the president’s communications officer, said the report misrepresented student performance data. “The data shows that from the 2022 to 2024 school years, students have demonstrated steady growth in overall proficiency,” she said.
Director of the Bureau of Curriculum & Instruction at MOE, Kilcullen, echoed this sentiment, specifically refuting statements by Sen. Andrew Tabelual. “Saying student performance is declining is not true,” she said. “In 2022, student scores were at the 22nd percentile. Now, they are at 37. The scores are not low—they are improving.”
Tabelual’s committee report criticized MOE for relying solely on IOWA Test and reading assessments to measure student success while overlooking other indicators such as GPA, graduation rates, and retention rates.
“We have invested $40.5 million in students over the last four years, yet there is no student-to-curriculum mastery data related to the learning targets dictated by Palau’s educational framework,” Tabelual said.
A public school teacher, who refused to be identified for fear of repercussions, supports Tabelual’s comments alleging that students were actually performing poorly and that the IOWA testing is poorly administered which skews students scores.
Whipps defended the administration’s approach, saying that quarterly tests previously used under past administrations were ineffective and took up valuable instructional time. “It was a conscious decision to remove them because they were not effective,” he said.
Senate Inaction on Finance Minister Appointment
Whipps also expressed frustration over the Senate’s failure to hold a hearing on Udui’s nomination, which lapsed after 60 days.
“Why did they take 60 days and not hold a hearing?” Whipps asked, pointing to a provision in RPPL 11-39 that deems an appointment withdrawn if the Senate takes no action within that timeframe. “I admit that’s a stupid law,” he said.
Some of the commenters on Palau social media express similar beliefs with Whipps saying that OEK was not objective and is politicizing the appointments, jeopardizing students wellbeing.
Call for Transparency in Senate Votes
The president called for greater accountability in the confirmation process, criticizing the Senate’s practice of secret voting on ministerial appointments.
“Why do they vote for ministers in secret?” he asked. “They should be held accountable for their decisions.”
Urging the Senate to act fairly, Whipps reiterated his stance. “Let’s not run on feelings; let’s run on facts. The Senate needs to do its job, be fair, and stick to the facts.”