A prominent figure in Samoan education, A'eau Christopher Hazelman firmly believes that a successful teacher should focus on the outcomes rather than the income.

Having served as a school principal and Director of Education for numerous years, A'eau possesses a comprehensive understanding of the challenges within Samoa's schools.

Additionally, his Minister and Associate Minister for the Education Ministry have backgrounds as teachers and school principals before transitioning into politics.

A'eau believes that students across Samoa are their clients. 

And he hopes that by working collaboratively with the relevant stakeholders, parents, teachers, and the community, the goals and objectives that have been initiated will come to fruition for the children in Samoa. 

"Throughout my career in education, it was never a job for me," A'eau said.

"Teaching is my vocation and it was never about the income, but the outcome. That is why I served for many years in the church.

"Now as CEO, I take a different approach. 

"All of Samoa’s students are my children and as a parent, I must provide the best for them. Anything less is unacceptable.

"So in 2023, it was all about getting people to understand that this is not a Ministry but a service to the children of this country in all elements of their development; literacy, numeracy, science, delivery of content, delivery of assessments, their values,  tupuaga ma le faasinomaga, their talents in arts, trades, music, sports, their life skills and experiences."

Working collectively to improve education in Samoa is key, added A'eau. 

"My role as CEO is not about me, but WE. 

"Everyone in MESC from my Deputy CEOs, all the Divisions, School Inspectors, Principals, Teachers, School Committees, Parents and of course my Ministers and Associate Minister are all part of the position. 

"I say this because we are all parents, uncles and aunties and all have children for which we are all responsible.

"I hope to improve the quality of learning, the quality of delivery, the quality of assessments, the quality of educational leadership and administration. So quality is a must.

"But I also want learning to be relevant. Our children must learn but they must understand the relevancy of what they are learning and how it applies to every situation in life.

"Yes we want improvements in results but I also want everyone from the CEO to the students to understand ethics and being responsible, taking initiatives, and be better people and citizens of this country."

As the education chief, A'eau believes that his journey is all about learning. 

"My journey is all about learning. Every day I learn something new. 

"Last week MESC farewelled one of our longest-serving employees in the Culture Division Mata’afa Elia Autagavaia who passed away. In my eulogy, I shared how I said to Mata’afa “oute vaivai i le gagana”. 

"As a teacher and leaders, we should not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. I have no problem in asking questions especially when  I am not sure and I find that people are most willing to offer help and assistance. At the end of the day, the question I’m asking is to help better the service to my clients, the children of this country.

"We still have many challenges to tackle. Teacher shortages and teacher retention are a priority. Ensuring our teachers are digitally literate and have a strong sense of responsibility in using different platforms for delivery and assessment is another important step forward.

"Developing our art, music, sports, and trades must also be included because the raw talents of our children are endless. This year’s Champ of Champs Athletics was an absolute success seeing our students from the villages and Savaii take on the traditional school powerhouses like St. Joseph’s, Avele, and Leififi proves my point of the raw talent in our country.

"One last point, the CEO is only as good as the people they have in the Ministry. I am blessed to have a Minister and Associate Minister who were both teachers and principals. 

"At MESC I am grateful for the expertise and support of all the different divisions. They are all important in their respective fields. Then there is the Education Sector working collaboratively with NUS and SQA because we all serve the same clients. My job is to bring all of these important services together. 

"At the end of the day, when the clients, the students of Samoa succeed and have developed good work ethics, then and only then can I say that I have done my job."