1

EDUCATION CLUSTER MEETING 

 

Friday, 9 October 2009: 1600-1700 

Venue:  WHO Conference Room (John Williams Building 4

th

 Floor) 

 

Participants: 

1.

 

Ms. Moana Petaia, ACEO of MESC-School Operations 

2.

 

Ms. Doreen Tuala, ACEO of MESC-Curriculum Materials and Assessment 

3.

 

Ms. Phuong T. Nguyen, Education Cluster Coordinator of UNICEF 

4.

 

Mr. Mike Frew, Pacific Emergency Programme Manager of Save the Children 

5.

 

Ms. Louise Ellerton, Officer of Education Programmes of UNESCO 

6.

 

Ms. Mere Aisake Asi, Development Programme Coordinator of NZAid 

7.

 

Mr. Kiyoshi Nakamitsu, Education Specialist & Desk Officer of ADB 

8.

 

Ms. Filia Tamesese of Caritas Samoa 
 

 

Agenda Item  

Presentation of MESC Assessment of Tsunami-Affected Schools Report

 

Discussion 

 

MESC presented its assessment report of schools affected by the 
tsunami of 29 September  2009 with the following findings: 

•

 

5 schools (4 Primary and 1 Secondary) from four 
districts are destroyed or damaged 

•

 

Affected schools are 1) Satitoa Primary of Aleipata 
District; 2) Vailoa Primary of Aleipata District; 3) 
Sale’apaga Primary of Lepa/Lotofaga District; 4) 
Aleipata Secondary of Lepa/Lotofaga District; 5) 
Manono-uta Primary of Aana 2 District 

•

 

Teachers of all schools have been requested by MESC 
to resume work this week to prepare for the full return 
of students to school the following week. 

•

 

Teachers have undergone counselling offered by MoH 
and education psychologists 

•

 

MESC provided a list of resources required for the full 
resumption of education which includes student and 
teacher’s furniture, water tanks, tents, portable sanitation 
units, first aid kits and transportation of displaced 
schools to nearby host schools 

•

 

MESC has already provided stationery and textbooks to 
affected schools 

•

 

MESC will submit proposal for the reconstruction of 
severely damaged and destroyed schools under its 
existing Education Sector Programme/Project Phase 2 
with the donor support of ADB, NZAid and AusAid. 

•

 

The #1 priority for MESC as well Education Cluster is 
the resumption of schooling for all students soonest. 

•

 

Exams will take place for Grade 8, Grade 12 and Grade 
13 students at the beginning of November thus it is 
important that these children return to school in order to 
begin preparing for these exams 

 

MESC report has been submitted to the Disaster Advisory Council 
(DAC) who is studying this in order to determine what the council is 
able to support with the school needs identified in the MESC 
assessment report 

 

Decision/Action 

 

MESC to inform Education 
Cluster any assistance to be 
provided by DAC 

 
 
 
 

 

When 

 

Tuesday, 
13 Oct. ‘09 
 
 

Agenda Item 2 

Feedback on MESC Assessment Report 

 

 

 

 

2

Discussion 

 

Cluster members agreed to await any commitment to be made by 
DAC to MESC before putting together an Education Cluster response 
plan 

 

Education Cluster members reiterated its commitment to support 
MESC to meet any needs gap unable to be fulfilled by DAC 

 

Education Cluster could formulate a rough cost estimate on activity 
items such as school transportation, tents, water tanks, portable 
latrines, etc. if MESC does not have this available. 

Decisions/Actions 

 

MESC to inform Phuong 

 

Education Cluster to meet 
following MESC feedback in 
order to develop a education 
response plan  

 

When 

 

Tuesday, 
13 Oct.‘09 

 

FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS REQUIRED 

BY WHOM & WHEN 

 

MESC to inform Education Cluster any assistance to be provided by 
DAC 

 

Education Cluster to meet following MESC feedback in order to 
develop a education response plan  

 

Moana/Doreen of MESC & Phuong 
Tuesday, 13 Oct. ‘09 

 

Education Cluster members 
Tuesday, 13 Oct. ‘09 
 

 

 

NEXT MEETING:  Tentatively Tuesday, 13 October 2009