The children of Faleasiu will start the 2016 school year in the comfort of new classrooms largely funded by Japan. 

The village opened the new Moamoa and Tauao’o Primary School building located in Moamoa – a sub village of Faleasiu, yesterday.

The new school will help solve the problem of overcrowding at Faleasiu Primary School which is currently the only school servicing the village. 

Faleasiu Primary School has a roll of over 600 students in a school with only 12 classrooms. Close to 300 of these students who live in the sub villages of Moamoa and Tauao’o will transfer to the new school next year. 

The new school building consists of 10 new classrooms including a staff room and library and lavatory facilities. 

Japan provided a grant of US$169,378 (T$389,569) to fund the construction but additional costs were borne by the school itself. The grant was provided through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (G.G.P.). 

Ambassador of Japan to Samoa, Tuimaugaoali’i Kazumasa Shibuta, was pleased with the efforts of the committee and thanked them for their commitment. 

Japan supports projects that boost the standard of education because Samoa has identified education as a key development area in its Strategy for Development. 

 “Japan places great importance on educational development through the provision of grants that assist with the reconstruction of school buildings because a comfortable learning environment is crucial to improved education,” said Tuimaugaoalii. 

Japan has funded and helped various schools and organizations through its G.G.P. scheme since its inception in Samoa in 1991.