Samoa's gross enrollment rate for children in Early Childhood Education (E.C.E.) over the last five years remains above 20 per cent, Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture statistics show.

According to the data from the M.E.S.C., 2018 was the only period when a high enrollment rate of 29 per cent was achieved, due to the efforts at that time to provide more access to free basic education.

The statistics from the Ministry reveal a gradual increase in both gross enrollment rate (G.E.R.) and net enrolment rate (N.E.R.) in E.C.E. from 2020 to 2022 with the M.E.S.C. saying that this reflected a continuous increase of E.C.E. enrolment in parallel with legislative amendments in 2019 that made it mandatory for 4-year-old children to go to E.C.E. 

The M.E.S.C. provided the data to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Labour (M.C.I.L.) when it requested information pertaining to the Convention of the Worst Forms of Child Labour from the Ministry. The Ministry was asked to give information on national efforts that have been taken to facilitate access of all children to free basic education and the outcome. 

In a response letter by the M.E.S.C. Chief Executive Officer, Aeau Chris Hazelman dated 11 April 2023, he outlined efforts by the Ministry to facilitate access for all children to free basic education. He also provided data on school enrolments and school drop-out rates for E.C.E. and Secondary Schools. 

Aeau referred to 2018 as the period when the Ministry initiated discussions on amendments to Samoa's Education Act 2009 for the extension of compulsory school-age for child education from ages 4 to 16.  

In 2019 the amendments to the Education Act 2009 were approved by the Parliament and awareness began together with the monitoring of compulsory school-age children by school inspectors in their respective districts, Aeau's letter noted. 

“In the year 2021, the close work relationship between the Ministry and communities was further strengthened or aligned with the Ministry’s focus on access of all compulsory school-aged children to education.

“Seventy per cent (70 per cent) or 118 of 168 government schools, their communities or village established by-laws to address the issue of school-aged children not attending schools in their respective communities.” 

In the same year, the M.E.S.C. noted the commemoration of International Children’s Day 2021 with a candlelight service in which child vendors were encouraged to attend with their parents so the Ministry could promote the importance of compulsory education. 

In 2022 the M.E.S.C. said it carried out awareness programs in Samoa for school committees and parents with the aim to aid the participants in furthering their knowledge of their roles and responsibilities and understanding the Ministry’s legislation, regulations and policies. 

Aeau noted the key events were done by the Ministry through its school operations division for the last 5 years but did not hinder the normal and daily role and responsibility of the division which is to promote compulsory education throughout Samoa. 

In relation to the data collected by the M.E.S.C., it stated that the G.E.R. for E.C.E. over the last five years remains above 20 per cent with the highest of 29 achieved in 2018. It is slightly higher than the N.E.R. which reflects other children who are not in the official E.C.E. age group (age 3-5) but attend EC.E. 

The table also showed a gradual increase of both G.E.R. and N.E.R. in E.C.E. from 2020 to 2022 reflecting a continuing increase of E.C.E. enrolment in parallel with a legislative amendment in 2019 mandating four-year-old children to attend E.C.E., the letter further states. 

The official school age for primary education is 5 to 12 years old. For primary level GER remains persistently above 100 per cent, said Aeau. 

“This indicates that there are students above the official primary age (12 years old) still attending primary schools. N.E.R. illustrates an upward growth of 105 per cent, a 9 per cent increase from 2021. 

“This denotes more children of the official age in the population are in primary school data gathered from the School census than population projections provided.” 

A report from the Bureau of International Labour Affairs reported that in 2021 Samoa made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. The report noted children in Samoa are subjected to the worst forms of child labour including use in illicit activities including the production and trafficking of drugs. 

“Children also engage in dangerous tasks in street work,” the Bureau of International Labour Affairs reported. “Furthermore research found no evidence of laws that prohibit using, procuring or offering children for illicit activities including for the production and trafficking of drugs. 

“In addition, the Government did not publicly release information on its labour law enforcement or criminal law enforcement efforts.”