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ASDOE consolidates Ta'u island elementary schools

The local Department of Education is consolidating the two elementary schools on Ta’u island, in Manu’a, which will give a ratio of four students to one teacher, says DOE director Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau at last Thursday’s cabinet meeting.

 

She said all public school teachers return to their classes on Aug. 5 and the new school year begins a week later on Aug. 12. She says ASDOE has “exciting” changes for Manu’a in the new school year, and her department along with the governor and ASDOE staff in Manu’a have been working on this plan.

 

“We will be combining the two elementary schools on Ta’u [island],” she said, referring to Fitiuta and Faleasao elementary schools. “Currently, we run between $3,000 to $4,000 a month for each of the schools [in expenditures], which we cannot afford.”

 

By consolidating the schools, one of the schools will remain open and “we’ve talked about what opportunities we’re going to do with Faleasao,” whose students will be consolidated with Fitiuta, where the enrollment is 46 students and 8 classrooms.

 

“So we're talking about a ratio of four students per teacher,” at Fitiuta with the consolidation of the two schools, she said and noted that only one staff member from Faleasao school will be transferred to Tutuila, where that person will also attend classes at the American Samoa Community College.

 

Responding to Samoa News questions, Vaitinasa said over the weekend that about 80 students attended Faleasao elementary for the last school year ( 2012/2013) and that’s about eight students per teacher, which “is ideal but not cost effective”.

 

According to the director, ASDOE plans to use renovated buildings at Faleasao elementary for housing for its contract workers such as volunteer teachers with WorldTeach organization. ASDOE is also entertaining the possibility of using these buildings as housing for others.

 

As for any other comments on the consolidation of the two elementary schools, Hunkin-Finau said that, “In response to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga’s directive to contain costs, reduce spending by 10% and think outside the box, my staff and I — with the support of the parents and community of Fitiuta, and Faleasao — have been given the get go to implement this move this coming school year.”

 

“We are grateful for the parents and community support and especially the governor’s vision to move on this effort,” she said.

 

Two parents in Faleasao village reached by telephone over the weekend said they are aware of the ASDOE plan and have not heard any complaints about consolidation of the two schools. One of the parents said, their only concern is making sure there is a working school bus to get students from Faleasao to Fitiuta and that appears to have already been addressed by ASDOE.

 

Regarding their plans to consolidate any schools on Tutuila, Vaitinasa told Samoa News, “we are currently looking at the smaller schools in the Eastern District to consolidate.”

 

Last week, Manu’a Rep. Toeaina Faufano Autele told his colleagues that he has received word from his constituents, that following the governor’s first official visit to the island group in late May, schools in Manu’a are being targeted for consolidation, however he didn't identify the schools.

 

The idea of consolidating elementary schools in Manu’a was first raised by the governor during a cabinet meeting in mid May when he was speaking about low teacher’s pay and low performance by high school graduates, who end up taking remedial classes in Reading and Math upon entering college.

 

Lolo told directors that it’s time for all of them — including those in government — to take a serious look at a number of issues affecting ASDOE, as well as other matters impacting classroom learning. He also pointed out that the cost of electricity for the two elementary schools on Ta’u island is high, and consolidation of these two schools — to save money — is one possible solution.