The two-day Samoa Va’a Pasifika Education Conference 2021 was officially launched on Monday at the National University of Samoa campus at Papaigalagala.

The Minister of Education Sports and Culture, Seuula Ioane Tuaau, gave the keynote address at the opening of the conference which also included oversea educators as well as online presenters from Australia and New Zealand.

He also thanked the chairman of the Vaka Pasifiki Education Committee, Professor Kabini Sanga of the Solomon Islands, for strategically providing an avenue for countries to host their own conferences in a time of pandemic.

The N.U.S. President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aiono Alec-Akeroma, was also acknowledged for his foresight in endorsing the Faculty of Education initiative to host the conference. 

“Though we are faced with a lot of challenges due to the pandemic that has caught the whole world unprepared, I am glad to see that the education administrators, teachers and educators continue to research ways to unravel the mysteries surrounding education,” said the Minister. 

“Most importantly is the inventiveness to investigate, explore and revise mysteries and epistemologies in the ways of the Pacific for the Pacific people.”

Professor Kabini Sanga – the transition chair of the P.E.R.F. Board, Pacific Education and Research Foundation – represented the regional organisation of educators for the event, through an online platform.

Prof. Sanga thanked the Minister for his welcome and congratulated the leaders of the N.U.S. for enabling the conference to happen for Samoans as well as participants from the communities, schools, parents and the teachers. 

The Vaka Pasifiki initiative in his view is important in that it is inclusive of the communities. 

“The conference deliberately invites parents, children and educators to come together to discuss the future of our children,” said Prof. Sanga.

Looking back on a 20 year journey, Prof. Sanga looked back at how a foundation attempted to provide a more God-honouring way of providing leadership and education for the people of the Pacific. 

“For me as a recipient of educational tools and values that were coming from somewhere else, I looked for a way that honoured God because God tells us who we are, even as Samoans, Solomon islanders, Tuvaluans or so forth,” she said.

“The foundation was set for a more authentic way of understanding ourselves as leaders and thinkers of our time, so that we may use what we learn creatively and effectively. “ 

Samoa’s Gatoloai Tili Afamasaga, who was also a founding member of the Vaka Pasifiki concept, gave a brief historical account of the idea that has now reached its 20th anniversary to date.

In a statement of introduction by the Institute of Education of the University of the South Pacific (U.S.P.), the “ Vaka Pasifiki Education Conference provides an opportunity for the sharing of ideas, presentation of research and best practice, and discussion of issues relevant to teacher education, educational policy and practice, and teaching and learning in Oceania.”