The Ministry of Education Sports and Culture has launched a set of books which it hopes will spur interest among students in Samoan legends and get them to appreciate culture.

The launching of the books Samoa Nei Galo Volume 9 &10 and Short Stories & Poems was held at the TATTE conference room at Sogi on Tuesday, and was led by the caretaker Education Minister Loau Keneti Sio and the M.E.S.C. Chief Executive Officer Afamasaga Dr Karoline Afamasaga-Fuatai.

Afamasaga, in an interview with the Samoa Observer after the launching, said the Ministry had been working on the publications for sometime and they specifically target students in the different grades.

“It’s an important day to demonstrate and reveal our documents and books that we have been working hard on putting together for the past few years, especially our culture,” she said. 

“There are two volumes of the cultural book Samoa Nei Galo that [was] launched today, Volume 9 and 10 and the most beautiful thing was the myths and legends from our culture.

[They] help to create short stories which are needed to teach to our children who are in school. 

“There are 11 reading books for Year 1 children that were presented today and all these books originated and were founded from the stories inside the Samoa Nei Galo book so we are very excited and pleased with this achievement.”

A book promoting the raising of teaching standards was also launched by the Ministry with Afamasaga-Fuatai saying that the book titled “Register Teachers Standards” is a guide for teachers.

“Another document that the Ministry was working on for a long period of time was the Register Teachers Standard which was prepared from 2011,” she said.

“All the teachers' standards must be satisfied in order to be registered and as guidelines for their role as teachers. 

“The Register Teachers Standard is intended to reflect teacher’s knowledge, practice professional development, core values, and ethics that teachers must have in order to teach the Samoan curriculum.”

And with the M.E.S.C. also launching its sector plans for the next three years, there is hope it would lead to improving access in early childhood education. 

“We also launch our sector plan for the next three years starting on the first of July, and will set the foundation for growth and best outcome in improving access to early childhood education,” Ms Afamasaga-Fuatai says.

“Strengthening inclusive education practice in the mainstream school system, promoting the use of technology in teaching and learning, and making sure the capacity of teachers and staff are on par with worldwide education developments. 

“The 2021-2024 [plan] will be a period of change as we work to update our administrative structures, explore how to promote greater sharing in education and ensure that we address the unacceptable levels of educational underachievement that confront and challenge our education system.” 

On the “Short Stories & Poems” publication, which are a collection of different stories written by popular authors and writers from around the world, Ms Afamasaga-Fuatai said she hopes the books will inspire the students.

The full listing of the books commissioned on Tuesday include Samoa Nei Galo Volume 9 &10, Readers for Year 1, Samoa Registered Teacher Standards (RTS) 2021, Short Stories & Poems, and The MESC Corporate Plan 2021-2024.