There’s been a change in the status of 8 teachers from Samoa whose contracts are expiring next week.
Last week, the teachers were told that their contracts will not be renewed.
But yesterday, Acting Director of Education, Fa’auifono Vaitautolu told KHJ News that contracts for eight teachers from Samoa are in the process of being renewed.
An August 23rd letter from Human Resources Director Lei Sonny Thompson informed the teachers that ASG “will not renew your existing contract” when they expire on September 12th.
When KHJ News asked co-acting DOE Director Philo Jennings Friday as to who made the call to end the teachers’ contracts, he indicated that DOE had nothing to do with it.
He suggested we ask Human Resources.
DHR Director Le’i did not confirm nor deny that the decision was his.
He explained however that the renewal of the teachers contract is based on their performance evaluation just like any other contract.
He said DOE makes the final decision on the contracts of the Samoa teachers contracts based on the Principals evaluation reports.
Le’i pointed out that the administration is trying to be fair citing that the way the group of teachers were hired in the first place posed some conflicts as the DHR is the only department to do the hiring for the government.
Former DOE Director Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau initiated a hiring campaign in Samoa to employ qualified teachers for hard to fill teaching jobs in the main content subjects of English, Math and Science.
And ten teachers were hired from Samoa two years ago as a result.
The teachers were publicly criticized by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele and then Director of Education Tanielu Aiafi for leaving their teaching careers in Samoa for greener pastures.
There were also many naysayers in the territory questioning why DOE was hiring teachers from Samoa when many graduate students were available to teach.
Some of the affected teachers said yesterday they have heard of ASG’s change of mind but have not received official confirmation.
