Reverend Paseto Eteuati
Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Development Partners
Chief Executive Officers
Representatives of Schools, PSET Providers and Non-Government Organizations
Ladies and gentlemen
It is indeed my pleasure to address this gathering today, to mark the launch of the second Education Sector Plan 2019-2024.
Today’s launch signifies a commitment by our Government to support the Education Sector’s strategic goals over the next five years with the vision that all people in Samoa are educated and productively engaged.
The Government of Samoa is committed to improving the quality and relevance of education for its citizens including better access to learning for all, through the work of its three Implementing Agencies – MESC, SQA and NUS.
This new Plan aligns with national, regional and global plans, and reflects the views of the Education Sector’s stakeholders. It builds on the achievements of the first Plan, while addressing its shortcomings and applying lessons learned from it.
The five goals and expected outcomes are clearly defined and are guided by three main themes: quality, access and relevance.
- Goals 1 and 2 focus on the quality of teaching and learning from Early Childhood Education to Post School Education and Training, including inclusive education;
- Goal 3 focuses on supporting students transition from school to further education or employment;
- Goals 4 and 5 focus on creating the right environment for quality education and training, by planning, governing and managing resources effectively.
The Education Sector needs to have a high quality education and training system that can produce outcomes that are linked to the five goals. The outcomes are:
- improved learning outcomes at all levels
- increased rates of participation and completion at all levels
- increased rates of employment for graduates
- more decision making informed by data analysis, research, policy and reviews
- all Education Sector coordination responsibilities managed efficiently
The new ESP has five priorities. These include:
- Inclusive education (IE)
- Early Childhood Education (ECE)
- Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
- Information and communication technology (ICT) and
- Capacity development (CD) of staff
The new Plan will be reviewed three times, annually, mid-term and end of term to ensure it stays on schedule, responds to what Samoa needs, and changes course when necessary. Its monitoring and evaluation framework provides learners, parents, communities, teachers and managers with clear performance indicators, targets and time frames.
Times are changing and Samoa needs a well-educated workforce to contribute effectively to the growth of our nation. Education is the key to economic prosperity and enabling a well-educated nation for Samoa, now and beyond.
I am certain that this Sector Plan will enable our learners to adapt to the use of technology and to meet the global demands of education. Through this Sector Plan, we will obtain quality education and build employment skills set, that will benefit our learners with employment opportunities.
The success of this Plan depends on the ongoing commitment of our three Implementing Agencies in working with ECE centres, schools and PSET providers. There are numerous stakeholders who contribute their time to school committees, advisory groups and governance roles. Thank you for your dedication – if we continue to work together, we can achieve our targets.
I wish to congratulate and acknowledge with sincere gratitude the contribution of everyone involved in the development of this Plan.
To our Development Partners, on behalf of the Government of Samoa, I thank you sincerely and acknowledge your continuous support and genuine willingness over the years to work in partnership to develop education in Samoa. I would particularly like to acknowledge the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for the provision of budget support to assist the implementation of the ESP. I hope that we will continue our journey side by side.
I have no doubt that the Education Sector will aspire to achieve, over the next five years and beyond.
Lastly, I would like to wish our Education Sector and stakeholders all the best throughout the lifetime of this Plan. Thank you and God Bless.
