Government Agencies in Samoa

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture is the government ministry in charge of the education sector. It aims for a quality holistic education system that recognizes and realizes the spiritual, cultural, intellectual and physical potential of all participants, enabling them to make fulfilling life choices. The Curriculum Materials and Assessment Division is the most prominent part of the ministry. The Samoa Qualifications Authority a statutory body regulates post-secondary education. The National Council for Early Childhood Education a quasi-NGO regulates preschool education.

Public spending on education was 5.3% of GDP in 2008.

The National Curriculum Council was set up in 2004 and the National Curriculum Policy Framework was launched in 2006, providing for broad and balanced education during in years 1–8 (primary) and 9–11 (junior secondary), with some specialisation in years 12–13 (senior secondary), including some vocational and technical subjects such as agriculture, design technology and computer studies. The new primary school curriculum and related resource materials encourage active, child-centred learning, and strengthening of teaching skills and assessment techniques, consistent with the Samoan–English bilingual education policy.