There is excitement in the air as the Samoa College Old Pupils Association (S.C.O.P.A)continues negotiations with the government to turn Samoa College into a charter school.
Leading the campaign is S.C.O.P.A Chairman, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, who is optimistic that the decision is the next best step for the school.
“We discussed the options and we all unanimously agreed for Samoa College to become a charter school in partnership with the government,” said Lealailepule.
“It’s the most appropriate model and way forward for the College. “We have that sense of responsibility, pride and commitment and S.C.O.P.A welcomes this opportunity and will make sure it will work.”
At the moment, S.C.O.P.A is working on negotiations and putting together a proposal for Cabinet’s endorsement.
If that happens, it would mean that Samoa College will be the first charter school in Samoa.
A charter school is a school that receives public funding but operates independently of the established public school system it is located in.
Charter schools purport to give parents more freedom to choose the type of education that best suits their child’s learning needs. It says the schools will help solve our “tail of under achieving students who have historically been under-served by the system”.
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“It’s a good thing for M.E.S.C. (Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture) to provide this avenue for government for people to take ownership,” Leala stressed.
“Before, M.E.S.C. had control of everything but now operations are in the hands of a few and it will provide efficiency and quality.”
There were initially three options given to S.C.O.P.A, Parents and Teachers Association (P..TA) to pick from.
First was to turn the college into a University Preparatory Year or charter school.
The last option was to have the college turned into a district school to be in line with the government’s plan to have all district schools managed by school committees.
Leala was also asked why a charter school was the better option for them.
“It’s an option introduced in New Zealand and works very well for their communities,” explained the S.C.O.P.A Chairman.
“The charter option goes together with the vision of M.E.S.C to provide quality education.
“Our main concern is the future of the College, country and our future leaders…it all comes down to the management of the schools and that will be handled by a trust or board and the Ministry concentrates on the regulatory role.”
Leala also explained that there is already a Vaimauga College and Samoa College does not have a committee.
“The goal of the Ministry is to outsource the schools to those capable people that can run it so we put up our hands because we believe that we have the resources and people that can take the school to the next level.”
In order for S.C.O.P.A to maintain the school, it will require a lot of money and funding.
But that is not a concern, claimed Leala.
“The government will still pay for teachers and stationery but we will be responsible for maintenance.
“We will be given the freedom to seek funding from aid donors and from activities.”
As for the name of the college, Leala made it clear that that is one of the main goals and objectives.
“It is to retain the name and intake of merit only as the essence of why the college was established in the first place.
“To maintain and take it to the next level,” he added.
THE FACTS
In New Zealand five charter schools opened in 2014, with very mixed results soon apparent. Another four got the green light to open in 2015.
These schools can be governed and run by private companies to make a profit (not that any have yet), can employ unqualified teachers and compete with local schools for students.
The schools already established have been funded at a much higher rate than comparable public schools, with millions of dollars in establishment funding on top.
Charter school proponents deny it, but the figures show that charter schools are being funded at up to four times the per-student rate of nearby public schools, even when the separate funding of teacher salaries is added to the public schools’ operational funding.
Most of the schools are operating at below their minimum guaranteed roll, but their funding has not been affected, as would be the case in a public school.
New Zealand students and schools do better than those in any of the countries where charter schools have been established.
Charter schools in the UK and US have increased inequity overall and undermined public schools where most children go.
US research shows most charter schools do worse or no better than mainstream public schools.
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