Figure 1.--Most primary children walk to nearby schools. Secondary students commonly take busses, especially to the hifgky selective seondary schools. |
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Most children receive a basic primary education, but secondary education is selective. The Government estimates that 97 percent of all primary-school-age children attended the basic primary schools. The government secondary schools are structured largely on the basis of New Zealand schools and instruction is in English. About 68 percent of eligible children attend secondary school. The secondary program is a 5 year program and is divided into a 3-year junior secondary program, which is followed by a 2-year senior secondary program. Entry into the senior secondary program is academically selective.
The Samoan school system is somewhat different in rural and urban areas. Most rural childrren attend nearby village schools which offer 4 years of primary schooling. The more academically capable children go on to district schools which provide the upper primary grades. Apia is the capital and most urbanized area of Samoa. Primary schools there offer both lower and upper grades in the same school. A primary goal set by the DoE is to make Somoans proficebnt in English as a second language. English is part of the primary curriculum and in the upper primary schools, instruction is in English. Thechildren are taught in Samoan during the first 6 years. English is introduced orally during the third year. There are sound educational reasons for this. If a child is going to pursue advanced studies, the literature availavle in every field is very limited in the Samoan language. Government sources reported 37,883 primary school pupils (1989). The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was 24 to 1 (1999). The Government estimates that 97 percentb % of all primary-school-age children attended the basic primary schools.
The government secondary schools are structured largely on the basis of New Zealand schools and instruction is in English. About 68 percent of eligible children attend secondary school. Vaipouli High School located in Savaii offers a general academic secondary curriculum. Avele College in Apia has an agricultural training program intriducing modern agricultural methods. The University of the South Pacific School of Agriculture operates a campus at Alafua near Apia. English in the 7th and 8th grades becomes the language of instruction. Samoan language can be taken as a separate course. The medium of instruction in the mission secondary schools is also English. They use a curriculum and textbooks similar to materials used in New Zealand. The secondary program is a 5 year program and is divided into a 3-year junior secondary program, which is followed by a 2-year senior secondary program. Entry into the senior secondary program is academically selective. After 8 years of schooling, the students take a national examination to rank then for selection to the senior secondary schools.
Samoa was one of the founders of the regional University of the South Pacific. The National University was founded (1984). The University was upgraded and a new campus opened (1997). Other tertiary institutions include the College of Tropical Agriculture and a Trades Training College.
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