Student and youth leader Jocelynette Leilua believes poor social media literacy has been the cause of recent fights between students and institutions should come up with ways to help students.

In the last week, two separate incidents of fights at the National University of Samoa and all involved girls.

Leilua shared her views on the current issues affecting the youth of Samoa, from school fighting at the NUS to violence and other incidents involving college students.

She said that this should be a reminder that we should build a caring community in schools. She believes the Samoan values are slowly fading in the youth of today.

“I am particularly concerned that Samoan values, which teach us respect (fa'aaloalo) and compassion (va-tapu’ia), seem to be fading. With the rise of technology, there is a real risk that these important traditions could be lost,” she said.

“If technology is not used wisely, it can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts among students. At Brown Girl Woke, we aim to empower young people by giving them a voice and helping everyone feel connected and valued. The recent fights highlight that many of these issues stem from personal struggles or a lack of understanding between students.

“To counter this, we need to create safe spaces where students can express their feelings and resolve conflicts peacefully. The student-body at NUS, through the National University of Samoa Student Association (NUSSA), can play a key role. By partnering with groups like Brown Girl Woke, we can encourage open and honest conversations.”

She believes that instead of handing out suspensions to students involved in fights, schools should require these students to meet with a counsellor regularly. 

“By integrating counseling into their daily routine, we can keep students engaged in school while helping them deal with their problems. This approach can foster understanding, ensuring everyone feels heard and respected. By turning these challenging situations into opportunities for growth and unity, we can strengthen our school community and preserve the values that are so important to us.”