St. Mary's College at Vaimoso is celebrating the opening of new facilities which include a new computer lab for junior level students as well as an ablution block.

The new facilities were unveiled on Tuesday morning with the College Principal Lepetiaima Sina Fitu telling the Samoa Observer that the college needed the new facilities. 

"We decided last year to look into the development of the infrastructure itself because we don't have enough classrooms as well as the toilet blocks is still not enough," she said.

"We already have two big buildings for the toilets and they are well looked after by the students and the parents as well but we decided to build another new toilet block."

According to the College Principal, all their facilities should be neat and tidy and up to a standard that is expected in modern day Samoa.

"We have seen the sustainable development of so many things so we see the school needs to be developed at the same time," she said.

"We also follow what we received from the Holy Father in Rome of the Laudato Si where everything has to be maintained and for the long life of people, mainly with plants as well as the cleanliness of the environment itself.

"So we are able to look into gardenings, make sure that every class has its own garden and for them to continue on maintaining and adding more to the gardens as well as looking into the cleanliness of classrooms, and the toilets."

The projects were made possible through a Parents Teachers Association (P.T.A) levy in which each family had to pay $50 on top of the school fees.

According to Lepetiaima, the new computer lab costs $30,250 while the new ablution block costs $40,455 with the total project cost around $70,705.

She said the new computer lab was formerly a school net building and had gone through re-roofing including the installation of ceramic tiles and air conditioning systems. 

New computers have been placed inside the building including laptops that were previously used by the school and will be used by the junior levels.

"The school is growing, the number of students in school from 385 to 450 now so there's a lot of students, that's the reason why we wanted to have another computer lab and another toilet block," she said.

The new bathroom includes 14 toilets, three showers as well as sinks and dispensers.

"It's all for cleanliness and we see that it has to be a healthy environment for the students is healthy education and everything else for them," the College Principal said.

"It's funded by the P.T.A but not really a fundraising but a P.T.A. levy."

She then thanked the P.T.A for the projects and said she is looking forward to a project from the Saint Mary's Old Girls Association (S.M.O.G.A) at the end of the year which will assist the school's Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

Asked what is the school in need of, she pointed towards the school's fence which needed to be upgraded.

"I know for sure it's been so long, probably more than 30 or 40 years ago but I see that one of the major projects that P.T.A. will be looking forward to do next year, as well as our hall probably needs to be repainted," she said.

 She also gave her thanks to the P.T.A President Alaiasa Elisapeta.

"We don't have any other fundraising, I know that it's COVID-19 so there's no other fundraising that St Mary’s is depending on but we rely on this levy put in by the parents to build these major projects for the students," she said.

The Head Girl of St. Mary's College Campaign, Maryjane Fidow said she was happy with the new project as it helps with the development of their academic studies.

"So actually it's a really good thing for us to improve learning and to learn in a very advanced stage so that we can abide with all the new syllabus and all the new learnings in order for us to gain very advanced learning," she said.

 The opening of a new toilet block in the school, she explained is their effort in improving their health status.

Ms. Fidow said that it is part of their essential need and improving health, which will enable their academic studies to flow.

"All these things were done for our development and of our new computer lab and the renovation of our bathroom, it's all from our school fees so actually, it's from our parents, our old girls and everyone has contributed to developing of our school." 

She is thankful for the efforts of S.M.O.G.A to assist in the school's development, and she had also given thanks to the parents and all of those who had assisted the school.