1

EDUCATION CLUSTER MEETING 

 

Thursday, 15 October 2009: 0930-1030 

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.

 

Ms. Louise Ellerton, Officer of Education Programmes of UNESCO 

5.

 

Ms. Mere Aisake Asi, Development Programme Coordinator of NZAid 

6.

 

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

7.

 

Ms. Nikhat Shameen, Education Specialist of UNICEF 
 

 

Agenda Item 1  

Feedback from recent joint MESC-MoH School WATSAN Assessment

 

Discussion 

 

MESC presented its latest update of schools affected by the tsunami 
with the following findings: 

•

 

Grade 8 students will resume schooling in nearby host 
schools on Wednesday, 14 October.  Lower grade 
students will resume schooling gradually in the coming 
days. 

•

 

Some schools, e.g. Satitoa Primary, Sale’apaga Primary 
and Falealili Secondary will need to be relocated inland.  
Discussions are on-going between MESC and village 
school committees on the relocation for the long term 
arrangement 

•

 

MESC is supporting the transportation of students 
through the hiring of vans thus all transportation needs 
are met by MESC. 

•

 

Schools damaged but not destroyed, e.g. Lalomanu 
Primary and Aleipata Secondary are considered suitable 
for use as per MESC-MOH joint assessment. 

•

 

Samoa Water Authority began reconnecting water 
supply to schools 

•

 

The priority is to ensure all children return to school 
soonest possible within the next seven days. 

Decision/Action 

 

MESC maintenance team to 
undertake repair work required 
of broken school latrines  

 

MESC to follow up with the 
Samoa Water Authority 
(SWA) to ensure all schools 
are connected back to water 
source 

 
 
 
 

 

When 

 

Now and 
ontinuously 
until 
complete 
within the 
next 
days/week 
 

 

 

 

 

2

Agenda Item 2 

Needs Gap Following Support Commitment from Disaster Advisory Council (DAC) 

Discussion 

 

Though MESC and DAC has provided some support including 
stationery and textbooks, tents, water tanks and transport, there is a 
still a needs gap including additional water tanks, and tents, first aid 
kits, portable latrines and student and teacher furniture.  

 

The Education Cluster support to fill the needs gap is required. 

 

UNICEF is committed to supporting parts of the needs gap and have 
started to look into the possibility of obtaining tents outside of Samoa 
but in the nearby region, e.g. Papua New Guinea.  Another possibility 
is to obtain from its warehouse in Copenhagen though that may take 
some time 

 

UNESCO has some funds (USD 50,000) it may be able to tap into for 
support as required. 

 

Through its ESP2 funds, NZAid, ADB and AUSAid will be able to 
support MESC to meet the needs gap.  However, the costing of the 
needs gap require to be budgeted first. 

 

Costing of all the materials is required in order to determine which 
agency is able to support which areas of the needs gap identified. 
 

Decisions/Actions 

 

Phuong/Cluster 
Coordinator/UNICEF and 
Louise/UNESCO to obtain 
quotations of supplies needs 
such as furniture, water tanks, 
tents and portable latrines and 
share with all Education Cluster 
members 

 

Phuong to provide complete 
needs gap costing and share with 
MESC/Education Cluster 
 

When 

 

16-17  
Oct.‘09 

 

Agenda Item 3 

Education Response Implementation Plan 

 

Discussion 

 

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. 

 

Education Cluster members to make commitment of support upon 
receipt and discussion of needs gap costing to be provided by 
Phuong/Cluster Coordinator/UNICEF 

 

Education Cluster members to move rapidly to ensure any committed 
funds or other resources be made available to MESC 
 

Decisions/Actions 

 

MESC to decide upon the set of 
supply hiring/procurement 
options to be provided by 
Phuong  

 

Education Cluster members to 
agree on what commitment each 
agency is able to provide to 
MESC  

 

MESC to draft official letter of 
request upon receipt of needs 
gap costing for each category of 
resource requirement 

When 

 

Tuesday, 
13 Oct.‘09 

 

FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS REQUIRED 

BY WHOM & WHEN 

 

Phuong/Cluster Coordinator/UNICEF to provide education resource 
costs and budget requirement to MESC and all Education Cluster 
members  

 

MESC to decide on resource hiring/procurement options and inform 
Education Cluster 

 

Education Cluster to make commitment of support to MESC upon 
receipt of resource material costing/budget meet  

 

MESC to provide an official letter of resources needs, including 
budget required 

 

Education Cluster members to ensure rapid disbursement of funds 
and/or other resources to MESC 

 

Phuong/Cluster Coordinator/UNICEF                 
(17 October 2009)

 

 

 

MESC (19 October 2009) 

 

 

Education Cluster members (19 October 2009) 

 

 

MESC (19 October 2009) 

 

 

Education Cluster members making commitment 
to MESC (19 – October 2009) 

 
 

NEXT MEETING:  Tentatively Monday 19 October 2009