By: Jasmine Netzler, Gvt Press. The Ministry of Education and Culture’s bilingual policy has been approved by the Cabinet. The policy outlines the work for the education system in Samoa to utilise both the English and Samoan languages to teach students in educational institutions across the country.
The policy supports the broader strategy of using bilingual materials to ensure teachers and students have access to quality resources for teaching and learning in both Gagana Samoa and English.
The policy was presented by the Ministry’s newly appointed CEO, Salāmatua Toiaivao Tautī Fa’atamāli’i Jenny Lauano, and representatives of MEC, Nora Warren-Fata and Tuiloma Inipene Simanu, to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on Friday, 10 April 2026, in Cabinet chambers.
Prime Minister, Hon La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt, says the policy outlines the teaching of lessons in schools – in both the Samoan and English languages. The CEO and her team were reminded of the importance of this initiative for student learning in both languages.
The Prime Minister said it was essential that both languages be used in schools and within the learning curriculum, and also emphasised the importance of giving priority (faatāua) to the Samoan language.
During this same visit by Salāmatua and her team, they presented for the first time to the Prime Minister and Cabinet a monolingual dictionary that was launched in 2024.
The Samoa Monolingual Dictionary (Faatonuupu o le Gagana Samoa) was put together by the Samoan Language Commission and the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC).
It was officially launched in Samoa on 5 July 2024 and in American Samoa on 11 July 2024.
It is the first-ever Samoan monolingual dictionary, containing over 27,000 entries, and is a vital resource for preserving, standardizing, and promoting the Samoan language and culture according to the ministry’s annual report for the financial year 2024/2025.
At his weekly press conference, the Prime Minister reiterated the importance of the dictionary for maintaining the quality of the Samoan language, which is currently being eroded on social media posts.
Many young people are using shorthand or slang to communicate on social media, and many of the words used are not proper Samoan language.
The Prime Minister reflected on the days of Sunday School and Aoga Faifeau, where we had all been taught the Samoan alphabet, and how to read and write in Gagana Samoa.
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