There’s been a change in the status of 8 teachers from Samoa whose contracts are expiring in a week,
Earlier 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 8 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 12.
When KHJ News asked co-acting DOE Director Philo Jennings Friday who made the call to end the teachers’ contract, he indicated that DOE had nothing to do with it.
He suggested we ask the Department of 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’ contracts is based on their performance evaluation just like any other contract.
He said that the final decision for the teachers’ contracts will be made by the DOE based on the evaluation of school principals.
Le’i pointed out that the administration is trying to be fair, citing that the way the group of teachers was 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 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 Falanaipupu Tanielu Aiafi for leaving their teaching careers in Samoa for greener pastures.
There were many naysayers in the territory as well questioning why DOE was hiring teachers from Samoa when many local graduate students were available to teach.
Some of the affected teachers from Samosa said yesterday they have heard of ASG’s change of mind but have not received official confirmation.
