Education: It takes a village

CEO Ministry Of Education, Tautapilimai Levaopolo Tupae Esera
More power to the Pulenuu
The Compulsory and Inclusive education bill will now give pulenu’u (village mayors) a new role in the education of children from their villages.
If the new bill is passed the children from the ages of 5-14 yrs will be required to attend school as well as the enforcement of rights for special needs children to go to school. Under the proposed bill the pulenu’u will be given the power to enforce children going to school and punish parents of children who do not go to school. According to Ms Doreen Tuala “ If the Bill is passed… then the ministry is dependent on the pulenuu and their authority to help implement the bill in their respective village communities.”
The Ministry had expressed concern over the increase in the number of children who are not going to school but instead selling goods in town as well as villages.
The Minister of Education Sports and Culture hon Toomata expressed in his opening address that the education of children if prioritized by villages will herald many blessings for families and the village community. Ms Tuala stated “ the Pulenuu are some of the key people in this bill that are important in getting these children into School especially in the villages.” She also stated that if the bill becomes law then the punishment for parents who do not send their children from the ages 5-14 yrs will be a monetary fine.
The bill will also allow for pulenuu to work together with School Inspectors in their villages to send their children to school.
The conference also included parents, religious leaders as well as school principals and inspectors to gather their opinions and views on the proposed bill.