As the school year winds to a close, it’s good and proper that the successful students should celebrate their achievements with their parents, guardians and supporters, as we have seen on the pages of the SAMOA OBSERVER over the last several days.

But that is only a small part, be it the happy one, which does not necessarily reflect the overall result of the year’s work.

In a speech to the annual meeting of all government teachers, early in the year, the new Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, the Hon.Seu’ula Ioane Tua’au,(the minister), quoted: E leai se isi e tu  faamauga’ which he said was a quotation from one of England’s foremost poets and priests, John Donne, in simple Samoan.

The quotation proper is:

No man is an island, is a reminder for everyone, especially the teaching profession, the minister said.

The importance given to cooperation and working together as a unit, as one body should encourage us to work together happily for the future. This means every one of us in the Ministry; principals, teachers, parents, committees of schools and all people need to work as members of a family; one body and leave the finger-pointing at one another, and, no doubt the achievement of expectations for positive outcomes for all schools in Samoa.

It is a great pleasure, the Minister said, that all educational partners are able to participate in the association to consolidate their commitment to improve, make better and strengthen teaching methodologies, through strengthening their work as individuals during the 2023 school year.

The theme of this year’s conference: “working together to achieve all hopes” fits in well with the teachers’ journey that they work cooperatively as one body; a single unit. The minister’s expectation is that this is the only way that can ensure the aim and goal for the good of education, given to all the children, wherever they attend school.

In an interview with Tavai Mene of Radio Samoa, the minister expressed concern at the intrusion of English into the Samoan speaking scene. And it wasn’t just young people mixing their words. Even matai, in village meetings, he said, are using English words when there are more appropriate Samoan words available.

The problem has become quite acute, that the government has decided to follow the New Zealand practice of setting days for emphasizing languages.

He added: There is truth in the saying: A leai se gagana, ua leai se aganu’u; A leai se aganu’u, ua po le nu’u. (Without language, there is no culture; without culture, the country is blind.)

When asked why this language problem has arisen, the minister claimed, that it was because of the effect of the English language influence. Our people are treating English as if it were our language, the minister said.

There was of course the problems caused by the measles epidemic followed by Covid 19. In all, there were seven (7) months when schools were closed because of those two disastrous events. We are still trying to deal with the after math, the minister said.

So what are you doing about it? The minister was asked.

The problem is a matter for everyone, the minister said. A united effort is required if the drop in our educational standards is to improve.

Officials, principals, teachers, parents, church ministers, and of course the students must all do their parts if we are to solve these problems.

The Ministry of Education’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) A’e’au Chris Hazelman, will have a pivotal role in organizing the united attack that his minister so strongly desires.

A seasoned educator of twenty-nine (29) years’ experience at mission and government schools; thirteen (13) years as head of Roman Catholic education; was pro chancellor and chairman of the Council of the National University of Samoa (NUS).

Teamed with the minister, himself an experienced educator of several years as principal of a primary school, the head team at the Education Ministry promises great things to come.

With the acceptance of John Donne’s: “No man is an island ,” – no one is self- sufficient, everyone relies on others, we can rest assured that: O le tele o sulu e maua ai figota; the more flares there are, the more chances of getting sea delicacies.

Or so they say.