What used to be the Tafaigata Prison compound is now the St Paul’s Academy at Tafaigata, taking education to a new and higher level in Samoa.
Never before has one school included all three levels of schooling from Early Childhood Education to Primary School and all the way to College.
It will also be the first model school for the development of digital education for both early childhood and primary education,
Vocational subjects and learning pathways at the college level are included as well.
Children from surrounding residential areas of Ululoloa, Si’usega, Vaitele uta, Nu’u fou, Tafaigata and Falelauniu are the main ones to benefit from the new school.
“ The school is a dream for the Ministry of Education to make it possible for easy access to education available from children at the early stages of learning to the senior level in college outside of Apia,” the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said at the official opening of the school.
The Ministry of Education has been working to develop the compound on the 20 acres of land assigned for the school since June 2020.
The old prison buildings have been renovated as classrooms for early childhood education and primary classrooms for Year 1 – Year 8, with a library and a staff room for teachers.
An estimated 2 acres of land has been reconstructed into a sports field for this academy.
In the 3 weeks prior to its official opening the Ministry of Education organised a team challenge approach in the renovation of the buildings, the landscaping and beautification of the area.
The project included the artistic skills and talents, of the Art students and teachers of Leifiifi College in painting the walls, which has totally transformed the dull buildings to most welcoming scenery outside the fence.
The inside images and pictures were put together by the Curriculum division of MESC representing all the subject areas.
A new transformation has taken place in this new learning environment, with colorful views of greenery and gardens, painting a different feeling and message for the future of Samoa in this particular area.
The existing old buildings will be renovated by the Ministry and transformed into vocational workshop space for students, storage and an offsite for the archives and records of the Ministry.
It is expected that the remaining vacated acres of land will accommodate the development of new extra primary buildings and a new college for 2021.
The school will establish its own school committees and PTA to support the development of this school.
While the school is still in its early stages the Ministry will continue to support its developments.