Samoa is an upper-middle-income island nation in the South Pacific with a population of about 219,000, nearly 45% of whom are children. Education in Samoa is compulsory for children from ages 5 to 14. Primary schooling comprises the first eight years of education and includes kindergarten. Junior secondary school is three years, and upper secondary is two years. Post-secondary programs are available at the National University of Samoa and the University of the South Pacific. The country’s adult literacy rate is 99.1% (2021). Preprimary net attendance is 55%. The upper secondary school completion rate is 56%.

Samoa has high enrollment rates in primary and lower secondary education, but participation declines as students get older. By upper secondary school, about one-fifth of students are no longer in education. Challenges begin even earlier, with pre-primary enrollment remaining relatively low at around 25%, limiting access to early learning opportunities for many children.

Samoa’s education sector faces several challenges, including declining literacy and numeracy levels, high dropout rates and a shortage of teachers. Although the government allocates about 14% of its total expenditure to education, this falls below the Global Partnership for Education’s benchmark of 20% or more. Marginalized groups, including women and people with disabilities, are disproportionately affected, while civil society organizations continue working to improve access to quality education. 

Partners Addressing Education Challenges

Global Partnership for Education. The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has partnered with Samoa since 2020 and has so far provided more than $20 million in support. The Samoa Partnership Compact aims to ensure the availability of relevant seamless pathways for learners across all levels of learning. Success is supported through quality early learning and support programs for progression and transition through education. The full engagement of families and communities is important to this success.

Education Out Loud. Funded by the Global Partnership for Education (and managed by Oxfam Denmark), Education Out Loud is the world’s largest fund supporting civil society advocacy and social accountability in education. Building on a previous 2022-2023 project in Samoa, Education Out Loud provided $345,240 to fund a 2024-2026 project in conjunction with the Samoa Education Network (SEN) focused on a shared understanding of education for all, so that no child is left behind. SEN is working to ensure that the voices of marginalized groups are heard in policy processes by providing training, resources, and opportunities for marginalized groups to participate in education policy dialogues and reviews. Activities include workshops and forums, training courses and materials, public awareness campaigns and behavioral guides.

A follow-up IIEP-UNESCO online course for civil society organizations offered in spring 2024 was designed to prepare these organizations to hold the government accountable by monitoring progress, identifying shortcomings and advocating for improvements. Said Joy Leaupepetele, Director and Coordinator of the Samoa Education Network, “By taking this course, we are better positioned to leverage our EOL grant and make a real difference. I understand the educational landscape, can strategically advocate for our community’s needs, and collaborate effectively with others to shape a brighter future for Samoan education.”

GPE System Transformation Grant Education Transformation Project. Samoa’s Ministry of Education and Culture launched the System Transformation Grant of $2.5 million in February 2026, along with UNESCO and international partners, funded by GPE. The project goals are to achieve more inclusive and equitable education by addressing systemwide challenges such as low participation in early childhood education, gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy, gender disparities in learning outcomes and secondary school pathways, from secondary education to advanced education, training and employment. Education reforms will be designed to be culturally responsive, inclusive and supported by families and communities.

Samoan Government Activities

Education Sector Plan 2025-2030. The Samoa Education Sector Plan 2025-2030 is the strategic plan that the Ministry of Education and Culture put forth to operationalize the government’s commitments “through quality education, inclusive access, relevant skills development, strong governance, and long-term resilience.” The plan will in part receive support from the GPE System Transformation Grant. Priorities are focused on four key outcomes and strategies:

• Improved learning achievement and graduate outcomes
• Equitable, inclusive access to quality education and training
• Improved education and training relevance and contribution to sustainable development
• An effective, efficient and resilient education sector

The plan includes a risk management framework that identifies eight key internal risks and two key external risks. All risks are estimated to be of medium likelihood, with the exception of staffing and capacity risks, which are seen to be of high likelihood—not enough teachers; high teacher turnover; teacher resistance to change or development; unhappy or inadequately supported teachers. This strategy to address this particular risk area is competitive salary and career paths and wellbeing support, mentoring for new teachers and the creation of professional learning communities.

Back-to-School Assistance Scheme. In January 2026, the Samoan government announced an $11.7 million back-to-school support program to help families with education costs at the start of the school year. Distribution of funds to eligible citizens began in April 2026, The Back-to-School Assistance program provided $55 to more than 105,000 citizens who are registered voters (with almost $6 million distributed as of April). All levels of education were included, from early childhood to tertiary education, young adults, mid-career people, pre-retired people and the elderly. This government initiative was to help cover education-related expenses such as fees, uniforms and supplies. The funds were drawn from district development funds under the national budget.

Education Management Information System. In July 2026, the Pacific Community, in collaboration with Samoa’s Ministry of Education and Culture, launched the Samoa Education Management Information System (SEMIS) in Apia, Samoa. The launch of the SEMIS represents a significant milestone in strengthening the foundations of education planning, management and decision-making, not only in Samoa but across the Pacific region. Hon. Alono Ekeroma, Minister of Education and Culture for the Government of Samoa said: “SEMIS means that, for the first time, the ministry will have a living, real-time picture of every school in this nation, the students, the teachers serving them, the infrastructure they learn and teach in, and the data needed to make decisions that actually improve outcomes.”

Overcoming Education Challenges

Recent funding and activities reveal considerable attention being given to Samoa’s education system. These improvements and the country’s already high literacy rate can only strengthen educational outcomes, while embracing and meeting the needs of the marginalized communities.

– Staff Reports

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