Govt. provides $10 million subsidy to pay teacher salaries
By Yumi Epati Tala’ave
For the current fiscal year, Government has approved over $10 million tala to subsidize teachers’ salaries for Church and private schools not to mention Early Childhood Education and even schools for those with special needs.
The funding is part of the $18 million tala approved allocation in the 2020 2021- Fiscal Year Budget to roll-out the Government’s “One Government Grant” (O. G.G.) initiative.
The first of its kind, Education Minister Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio told the Savali Newspaper that some “60% of the O.G.G funding will pay for teachers’ working in education faculties outside of the Government’s public school system.
The O.G.G. is a new version of the annual School Grant Program started by Government close to 40 years ago.
It started with an annual budget of $50,000 tala in cash pay-outs to the missions and private schools to support with the administrative costs. And the amounts allocated per school depend on the number of schools on their respective enrollments.
By last year, the annual school grant program’s budget ballooned to more than $6 million tala representing a 200% increase in the number students coverage reflected in the expansion of the cash pay-outs to Early Childhood Education and Schools for persons which special needs.
“Government wants quality teachers who are passion and committed to realise our target for our children to receive the best education,” he elaborated.
Presently, only teachers employed in government schools are paid for by government.
And the One Common Grant to assist schools outside of the government sphere added the Education Minister is a reflection of the important role played by private and church schools in education.
“Education is a responsibility for government,” he said.
“But despite the challenges over the years, the church schools and most recently, private schools and early childhood institutions (ECEs)have shared this responsibility with the government.
“For that, government is recognizing your role through this grants assistance.”
The increase says Solamalemalo is the due MESC’s ingenuity to consolidate all
The Minister clarified that the grant funding will not cover school maintenance costs such as mowing, repairing fences or fixing damaged school properties.
And he clarified that school fees are not compulsory per understanding between Government and School/Village Committees receiving funds from O.G.G.
However there are reports that the Committees are imposing a register as a source of revenue and contribution from parents to help with the maintenance and other costs not allowed under the O.G.G.
For the current Fiscal Year, MESC approved budget is over $103 million tala as outlined below;
1. Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture – $103.4million tala
• $72.6 million tala for the Ministry’s planned operations;
• $30.7 million for Transactions on Behalf of State.
The planned initiatives of the Ministry include the following major developments;
• $18 million for the One Government Grant to schools;
• $6.5 million for the Education Sector Support Program under the auspices of the New Zealand and Australian Government;
• $1.5 million for Teachers’ Scholarship program;
• $350,000 for the Samoa Rugby Union;
• $200,000 for Sports Development;
• $150,000 for the Samoa Netball Association;
The Ministry is also working in collaboration with its major development partners in the implementation of key projects of which the largest are:
• $2 million for Inclusive Education;
• $1.2 million for the Nursing Workforce Development Program.
