Critical Education

Problems In Western Samoa

Western Samoa’s Assembly members have been criticised in the past for failing to take the

problem of education seriously.

But this did not appear to be the case in late July when the Assembly considered the annual report for 1962 of Western Samoa’s Director of Education, Mr. C. J. Williams.

MR. WILLIAMS made it clear in his report that education in Wes tern Samoa was in a parlous state, and every speaker in the Assembly echoed his concern.

“The present state of education,”

Mr. Williams said, “in relation to population growth, and the growing needs of the country for trained man power and for development generally —economic, political and social—can only be described as critical.”

He said at present only 12 per cent, of the school age population was receiving education to fifth and sixth grades, and only 3 per cent, was receiving secondary education.

Even for the present needs of the country these numbers should be doubled, and for future needs, the> should be trebled.

However, there were neither the facilities, the local staff nor the re sources to remedy the situation excepl by the urgent implementation of i long-term plan.

Mr. Williams said that without the £400,000 grant from New Zealanc spread over the period 1961-65, it wai doubtful whether there could have been any progress at all.

Even without essential expansioi at higher levels, annual increases ii the elementary level for salaries alone would amount to over £50,000 i year.

In fact, to provide adequately fo: the needs of education, expenditure by the year 1973 should total mon than the whole Government expen diture of just over £1 million for al departments in 1963.

The Minister of Education, Tua tagaloa Te’o, said in the Assembly “What is going to happen if Ne\ Zealand educational aid comes to ai end, as is now understood, in 1965?

But the question in many members minds was: “What is going to happei if we can’t get that aid increased?”