The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture kicked started a two-day annual conference yesterday.
Held at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi Building, the theme of the conference is “Education for Sustainable Development.”
Prime Minster, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi delivered the opening address while the Principal of Sylvia Park Intermediate School in Auckland New Zealand, Barbara Ala’alatoa, was the guest speaker.
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The purpose of the conference is for key stakeholders in the education sector to share ideas and discuss issues pertaining to students’ learning.
They are also discussing ways to improve academic results, the management of schools and how to get more quality teachers.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa said there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
“We need to work together to improve our children’s numeracy and literacy and this conference is an opportunity to discuss some ways that will improve our children in those areas,” he said.
“We need to lift the level of literacy and numeracy at schools throughout the country.”
Chief Executive Officer of M.E.S.C, Matafeo Falana’ipupu Aiafi, said one of the key issues at the conference is teacher development.
“The Ministry used to organise a lot of workshops,” he said.
But the Ministry is moving to promote the importance of school-based training.
“The idea is that principals should gather the teachers and do their own in house training. During these, they can share ideas, issues and problems and then look at ways to solve these issues in house.”
So what are the priority areas for 2015?
“We (the ministry) have to revisit programmes for literacy and Maths,” said Matafeo.
“We have to get experts to come and look at where we are now. They need to let us know if this is the curriculum and if it is right or are the tests too difficult.”
Matafeo said made reference to the mass Math failure last year and acknowledged that parents have a valid point in relation to their concerns.
The issue is bound to be discussed at the conference when Professor Karoline Fuatai presents her research on Mathematics.
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