While the Department of Education works on addressing the shortage of text books due to the supplier claiming a huge unpaid debt, Education director Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau says teachers use other resources to form their lesson plans, and do not just depend on text books.

Vaitinasa’s comments were made Tuesday during the DOE fiscal year 2016 budget hearing before the Fono joint-budget committee, where it was revealed that the Education director recently received her salary cited in the budget document.

During the hearing, Sen. Magalei Logovi’i pointed to the budget, which shows $877,500 for supply of text books, saying that he heard reports last week there were no text books when the new school year began last month.

Vaitinasa responded that there are text books but “not enough” and these same text books need to be updated to the latest editions. She explained that the new order of text books has not arrived due to the off island supplier complaining that outstanding debts from years ago have not been paid.

She said the supplier wants the outstanding debt paid first before releasing the order, and pointed out that a representative of the supplier will be here next week to meet with DOE on this matter.

She said past payment records are currently being gathered for the meeting, because as far as DOE is concerned ASG owes only $80,000 while the supplier is claiming a higher amount of about $100,000.

She went on to explain that there was a time when she testified in the Fono on the status of the education system, which is unlike years ago “when we were in school” where education was based on text books alone.

The current education system in the US and its territories is “based on standards” and not just on text books,” she said and pointed out that a diligent hard working teacher can use other types of available resources — such as computers — to form or set up a lesson plan for students, not just what’s in the text books.

Vaitinasa says text books are useful “but not necessary” and reiterated that there are many resources that can be used by a teacher to form student lesson plans. “Curriculum does not prescribe to a text [book],” she added.

Magalei asked what happens to the student with homework and no text books available to take home. Vaitinasa responded that when the student goes home with the homework, there is a worksheet to be used. The student doesn't necessarily need to have a text book, she added.

Asked by Magalei if all students in school have computers to use, Vaitinasa said there are computers in public schools.

According to the budget document, current salary (FY 2015) for the DOE director is $73,000, which is the same amount proposed for FY 2016. Magalei asked if Vaitinasa is receiving the $73,000.

Vaitinasa gave an interesting reply — it was “announced last week that this salary is in for the director”.

Magalei said the DOE director is the lucky one getting the salary outlined in her department’s budget because this is not the same case for other directors.

Another question raised by Magalei — based on media reports — concerned the shortage of teachers at the start of the new school year. Vaitinasa explained that there are only a small number of teaching positions not filled — four for high school and six for elementary with paperwork for those to fill these positions being processed.

From June to last month (August), Vaitinasa said, a total of 20 teachers had resigned, an average of seven teachers per month. She said resignations were coming in faster than DOE was able to fill these positions, and the resignations were still coming in when the new school year started.

To help fill the vacant teaching positions, staffers with teaching experience — from the main DOE office — are being utilized at this point, until permanent teachers are hired, she said.