The Afega Primary School outside Apia is in need of more teachers due to an ongoing teacher shortage crisis. 

This was highlighted by the principal of Afega Primary School, Lesuea Sa’u Toleafoa in a recent interview with Samoa Observer.

“At the moment, we have 10 teachers altogether including myself but the numbers of students is over 400 - there are three classes that have more than 60 students.

“We presented a case towards the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC) that we are faced with the lack of teachers – and we already submitted a request for more teachers to the C.E.O. of MESC, Dr. Karoline Afamasaga-Fuata’i – on this problem which we face.

“Another concern we have encountered is the need for more desks and chairs, recently we received assistance of chairs, desks, tables from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S.) Charities in which we are greatly thankful for. But in all honesty, this will still not solve altogether our greater need for more desks and chairs,” she said. 

Mrs. Toleafoa also added that there are cases where students have no choice but to sit on the floor and it does not help the school when the enrollment numbers continue to increase. 

“It also does not help with the increasing number of students enrolled in their school where some classes are held at the back of the school hall.

“But this issue of not enough space is being addressed by the construction of a new school building funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (J.I.C.A.) with works scheduled in the middle of this year.

“We submitted a request for a renovation but after observations they concluded that there are a lot of changes that needed to be done and therefore resolved constructing a new building and I think that it will be in August,” she said.

Dr. Karoline Afamasaga-Fuata’i has refused to entertain requests for interviews by the Samoa Observer on all education matters, saying coverage by this newspaper in January this year of the 2018 school assessment results were incorrect.