Some Year 12 and 13 students have lamented the deferral of exams this week, saying the postponement disrupted their study preparations and they are unsure of what lies ahead.

Five students from four different colleges told the Samoa Observer they were shocked to hear of the deferral of exams by the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture (MESC), after the government declared a national state of emergency last Friday to combat the spread of measles.

Iosefo Petelo, a 17-year-old Year 12 student at the Faleata College, said he was looking forward to wrapping up his exams and going on holidays – until he heard of the postponement of the Samoa School Certificate (SSC) and Samoa School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exams for an indefinite period. 

“I felt sad with the postponed of the SSC and SSLC exams as I had been preparing for these exams and had two left, which were design technology and Samoa language,” he said.

Faleata College had a senior level camp for Year 12-13 students to assist them study for their exams, which has also been postponed indefinitely. 

Mr Petelo said his biggest fear is the length of the exams’ deferral and the air of uncertainty it creates for students in his cohort.

“Looking forward if the students were not able to sit their last exams, how would students like me be able to reach Year 13 next year,” he said.

Eighteen-year-old Mollizers Uili, a Year 13 student at the Maluafou College, said she only has the maths and the Samoan language exams to do.

“Right now the feeling I have is really sad because I have two exams left and everything I did to prepare for the exams is now wasted,” she said.

Leulumoega Fou College Year 13 student, 19-year-old Tanielu Fono, expressed the same sentiments about maths and Samoan language being his last two exams.

“It’s really sad because maths and Samoa are my last two exams that I have this week, which I have been preparing for and also paid to sit,” he said.

The college had been preparing for the exams for four weeks with Mr Fono indicating that they will now have to wait for advice from MESC on when the exams will be held.

“Well, we are still waiting for what the Ministry of Education Sport and Culture, when the exams are going to be continued and what they said is what we do,” he added.

Jesus Christ Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Pesega College Year 13 students, 17-year-old Sinah Afa and 18-year-old Jenny Vito, said they were both disappointed with the indefinite deferral as they studied and were prepared for the exams. 

“Once we heard the news that exams have been postponed we were all upset by it,” said Ms Vito.

Ms Afa said it was a one-year preparation for the exams and it is disappointing that they have to wait for the authorities to advise of new dates.