Prime Highlights:

• Samoa, with support from UNESCO and GPE, has launched a USD 2.5 million Education Transformation Project to improve learning pathways from early childhood to post-school education.
• The project focuses on inclusive, culturally grounded education that promotes strong foundations, smooth transitions, and lifelong learning for every student.

Key Facts:

• The project is funded by GPE, with Australia as a key partner, and targets early childhood education, primary school literacy and numeracy, and secondary-level vocational pathways.
• It follows Fa’aSamoa values, emphasizing family, respect, and strong community relationships, while promoting gender equality, inclusion, and child safety.

Background:

The Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), together with UNESCO and supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has launched a USD 2.5 million Education Transformation Project to improve learning pathways in Samoa.

The project aims to give every learner access to quality education rooted in Samoan culture and values. The project will help students from early childhood through primary and secondary school, and into further education, training, and work. It follows Samoa’s Education Sector Plan (ESP) 2025–2030, aiming to build strong learning foundations, promote fairness and inclusion, and make sure students progress smoothly at every stage.

“The Samoa System Transformation Grant reflects our commitment to inclusive, seamless education pathways for all learners, built on strong early learning foundations and grounded in Samoan culture and values,” said Hon. Afioga Aiono Alec Ekeroma, Minister of Education and Culture, during the official launch.

The project has USD 2.5 million in funding from GPE, with Australia as a main partner. It will focus on three key areas: early childhood education, basic reading and math in primary schools, and secondary-level technical and vocational training.

The project also supports gender equality, inclusion, child safety, and community involvement. It follows Fa’aSamoa values like family (aiga), respect (fa’aaloalo), and strong relationships (vā tapuia).

UNESCO Regional Director for the Pacific States, Sardar Umar Alam, highlighted the organization’s role, saying, “The project provides critical support for system-wide reform, improving education quality and strengthening teaching and learning for all learners in Samoa.”

GPE CEO Laura Frigenti added, “Samoa’s education reform agenda demonstrates a strong commitment to building solid foundations and inclusive learning for every child. We are proud to support these reforms.”

The launch event was attended by government officials, education leaders, partners, and representatives from countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, the UK, France, and the US. This showed strong support for Samoa’s education reforms.

The project aims to build an inclusive and culturally grounded education system that helps learners at every stage and supports lifelong learning.