Parents were urged to reconsider their priorities and put their children’s education first and faalavelave obligations second.
Vicar General of the Diocese of Samoa – Pago Pago, Monsignor Viane Etuale was speaking at the opening Mass for Catholic Education Week in American Samoa.
Monsigor Viane Etuale
The celebration highlights the gift of Catholic education, nurturing wholesome learning or education of the mind, body and soul.
Monsignor Viane announced yesterday that the Diocese is embarking on a new initiative which would have some of the parishes take over the operation of three of the five schools in the local diocese.
He said Catholic schools here, like in other parts of the world, are struggling due to limited financial resources.
And after careful review, the father of the Diocese, Bishop Peter Brown, with the support of priests and Diocesan Pastoral Council have proposed to parishes where some of the schools are located to step in and operate them.
According to Diocesan plans, Mary the Mother Montessori and Marist St. Francis in Lepua will in the new year be operated by the Eastern Vicariate, while Hope House Montessori in Tafuna will be operated by the Central Vicariate.
Monsignor Viane says it is not lost on the Bishop and clergy the struggles that parents have in paying for their children’s education but he says some parents have their priorities misplaced.
He said it’s easy for some to say they can’t afford their children’s school fees, yet they go all out when it comes to faalavelave.
He said Catholic schools need money to survive.
He said in the past teachers would accept low wages with faith that their reward will be in Heaven, but that is no longer the case.
