Samoa

by Paul Bacsich and Nikki Cortoos

For entities in Samoa see Category:Samoa

Experts situated in Samoa

None so far.

Samoa in a nutshell

Source : http://www.cia.gov

Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa and German Samoa), is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The entire island group, inclusive of American Samoa, was called Navigators Islands by European explorers before the 20th century because of the Samoans' seafaring skills.

Samoa became independent from New Zealand in 1962.

The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and Savai'i (one of the biggest islands in Polynesia).

The population of Samoa is 194,320 (July 2012 estimate according to CIA's World Factbook).

The capital (and largest city) is Apia, situated on the island of Upolu.

Samoa was admitted to the United Nations on 15 December 1976.

Education in Samoa

The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture is responsible for education and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is also relevant because of its unit ICT4Development with projects such as Schoolnet, rural internet connection, mobile computer lab for schools, and telecentre...

Educational System The Samoan educational system is patterned after that of New Zealand. In 1994, school attendance was made mandatory for all children from 5 to 14 years of age or until completion of the eighth grade. There are 139 primary schools, 21 junior secondary schools, and 4 senior secondary schools that are administered by the Director of Education and four assistant directors. The Department of Education is headquartered in Malifa.

Twenty-two educational districts are attended to by 23 field administrators. These are responsible for supervising staff performance, staffing of schools, and transferring of teachers. They also oversee school administration and educational programmes. Families and the government share the responsibility of school financing. The government is liable for the salaries of teaching and administrative personnel, while the village or district owns the school buildings and equipment.

(sourced from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1297/Samoa.html)

Schools in Samoa

There are 38 nongovernmental schools that are run by their own directors and school boards. These schools are largely self-financed, but some funds do come from the government. The villages that own them run the primary and junior secondary schools. School committees, which are called Komiti fa'atino oAoga, are the school managers. The committee consists of the principal, inspector, pastor (pulenu'u), and villagers.

There are 157 schools located throughout the country. Primary school enrollment is approximately 36,000 students. Forty-eight percent of the students are female; however, their attendance is irregular. Some of the schools are overcrowded and in a state of disrepair.

During the first six years, students are taught in Samoan, with English being introduced orally during the third year. In the seventh and eighth years, English is the language of instruction.

After eight years of school, students take a national examination. The rationale behind the exam is the need to rank students for selection into secondary schools.

Throughout the secondary education system, the mode of instruction is English. Samoan can be taken as a separate course. The secondary program is five years in duration and is divided into a three-year junior secondary program, which is followed by a two-year senior secondary program. Entry into the senior secondary program is highly selective.

Progress through the system is tied to three examinations. The tests are administered locally, utilizing trained examiners with assistance provided by the South Pacific Board of Educational Assessment team. Students in their thirteenth year are given the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. Performance in this test is instrumental in determining the students' academic future; the most successful gain entry into the university preparatory year.

The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture has various strategic plans and reports available - see http://www.mesc.gov.ws/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&Itemid=148

Further and Higher education

See the National University of Samoa - below.

Universities in Samoa

The National University of Samoa is the only university. It is a coeducational, publicly-supported university in Apia, Samoa. It currently occupies a campus built in part with funding from the Government of Japan. It provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programmes, as well as technical and vocational training. Additionally, the Center of Samoan Studies at NUS offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Samoan Studies, as well as post-graduate diplomas and certificates.

The University was established in 1984. Its first degree, the Bachelor of Education, was launched in 1987. A year later, the Bachelor of Arts degree was introduced. The first graduates in both programs were awarded their degrees in 1990. Soon after, the Faculty of Commerce and the Faculty of Science were established. The Samoan Health Department's School of Nursing was merged into the university in 1993 as the Faculty of Nursing, and the Western Samoa Teacher's College was merged in during 1997 as the Faculty of Education. The Institute of Samoan Studies was established in 1999. In 2006, Samoa Polytechnic merged into the university as the Institute of Technology.

Its web site is at http://www.nus.edu.ws

Polytechnics in Samoa

Note that in 2006, Samoa Polytechnic merged into the National University of Samoa as its Institute of Technology.

Education reform

No information.

Quality assurance

Post-secondary

The Samoa Qualifications Authority (SQA) accredits post-secondary providers as a mechanism to ensure that the courses and programmes meet quality standards and adhere to the national qualification framework.

Samoa is home to Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) which is a member of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).

ICT in education initiatives

According to an joint publication by ICDE and others:

the integration of computer and communications technology into education is still in its initial stages and implemented through a variety of projects such as Samoa School Net and the UNDP proposed funded e-bus. There are currently two broad initiatives in the area of ICT: the provision of ICT support and services and the provision of ICT training and education directed towards schools. The issue of online delivery is still relatively undeveloped and distance education is primarily delivered in a more traditional manner, with the USP providing distance and online options. The regulatory framework in Samoa is most appropriate for that mode. However, it is likely in the future that the interest in the online environment will increase rapidly and it is unclear as to whether Samoa is ready for that change.

Source: Regulatory Frameworks for Distance Education: A pilot study in the Southwest Pacific/South East Asia Region. Final Report, DEHub, the Australasian Council for Open and Distance Education (ACODE), the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), December 2011, http://www.icde.org/projects/regulatory_frameworks_for_distance_education/final_report, April 2012.

In Samoa, many government secondary schools are currently offering computer studies and communications technology at Years 9, 10, 12 and 13. For a number of years now, Samoan students have sat the PSSC computer studies examination. Samoa designed and developed a Computer Studies curriculum for Years 12 and 13, which was implemented in 2005 at selected secondary schools.

Radio broadcasts are still produced by the Ministry to support the delivery of the curriculum in primary schools. AusAID’s usually through the Primary Education and Materials Project donate to each primary school a CD player and CDs containing additional materials to support the curriculum. New equipment to produce these educational CDs are also provided to the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture Broadcasting Unit.

However, national ICT policies and strategic plan as such have scarcely been implemented.

Virtual initiatives in post-secondary education

National University of Samoa's Virtual Classroom, a VLE using Moodle to supplement on-campus instruction. There are 27 classes currently hosted from 5 faculties of the Institute of Higher Education (IHE).

References

1. Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, http://www.mesc.gov.ws
2. PCF5:Development of E-Learning in Education in Samoa: Issues, Challenges, Strategies and Recommendations for the Way Forward at http://directory.wikieducator.org/PCF5:Development_of_E-Learning_in_Education_in_Samoa:_Issues,_Challenges,_Strategies_and_Recommendations_for_the_Way_Forward

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For OER policies and projects in Samoa see Samoa/OER

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