1830 saw the first landings of the London Missionary Society, commonly referred to as the “LMS”, on the Islands of Western Samoa (Village of Sapapalii, Savaii) and later in American Samoa (Village of Leone, Tutuila) two years later.
Main road downtown Fagatogo.
[Photo courtesy of Joseph L. Dwyer collections, 1900-1913.]
The symbolic arrival of these missionaries played a vital role in the structuring and the development of the Samoan Islands religiously, culturally, and significantly - the establishment of the foundation for education. Steadily, the LMS missionaries instituted “mission schools” throughout the islands of Samoa launching training schools for “faifeaus”, or pastors, some time around 1835. Educators within these mission schools or training schools were the “palagi” missionaries themselves along with island-trainees previously trained from the islands of Tahiti.
Remarkably to say, education within these training schools had no organization, no formal teaching staff, no administrative structure, and no set curriculum. The initial teachings of the palagi missionaries focused mainly on Christianity and the Samoan way of life. But to be able to understand Christianity required individuals to first be able to “read” (the Bible). Learning the Samoan language, its grammar and structure, the missionaries were then able to define the “Samoan Alphabet” and thus; the creation of a written Samoan Language something of which was non-existent. With the development of the Samoan Language, reading then lead to writing and with the inclusion of simple arithemetic, the basic “3-Rs” was in place.
Lepua Catholic Church in Leloaloa with Rainmaker Mt. in the background.
[Photo courtesy of Am. Samoa Historic Preservation Office - taken by unknown photographer 1928 - 1931]
The years went by with the faifeau schools operating under strenuous and arduous conditions as in “open fales” competing with climate conditions, disturbances from flying insects and other passerbys, not to mention the lack of school materials and electricity. Yet, despite these conditions, the missionaries continued with their teachings using whatever resources were available.
In 1844, the LMS Theological Training School at Malua was established in Western Samoa. The first formal school on the Island of Tutuila was established in 1900-1901 with the establishment of the “Atauloma Girls School”.
Main road downtown Fagatogo.
[Photo courtesy of Joseph L. Dwyer collections, 1900-1913.]
“Atauloma Girls School”, originally, was erected in the village of Amanave and was later relocated to Atauloma. Remains of this historic site can still be seen at the top of the hill in the village of Atauloma. It wasn’t until some time in 1949 its counterpart, “Fagalele Boys School” was opened in the village of Leone.
In 1900, the United States Government signed a treaty with Germany and Great Britain giving the United States sole control of the islands of Tutuila and Aunuu and later with the Manua Islands in 1904. With the United States Naval Administration assuming control of the Islands, the early 1900’s saw more schools opening and operating with a set curriculum - the 3 “R’s”: reading (mostly as in Bible Reading), ‘riting (writing), and some simple ‘rithmetic (arithmetic).
With the arrival of other Religious Denominations in the islands, schools also were established throughout the islands and in the years to follow. By 1902, there were about 57 church schools on the island of Tutuila alone - 40 were under the LMS, 13 Catholics, 3 Mormons, and 1 Methodist church school.
At the time, instructions at the church schools were mainly in Samoan with the newly written Samoan language.
View of Pago Harbor with Sogelau Hill in the background - site of the Flag Day 1900.
[photo courtesy ASHPO]
The Tilley administration saw at the time the need for a school mainly to teach Samoans the English language and to learn the English culture. This led to the first non-sectarian government school in the naval station area in Fagatogo. The first Public School in American Samoa, “Fagatogo”, was established in April 11, 1904 and consisted of 2 teachers and 40 students between the ages of 6 and 12. Meanwhile in 1908 on the island of Ta’u, Manu’a, Papatea School opened its doors to the Manu’a district with an LMS pastor, “Vaega”, as its only teacher.
With the unification of the Public Schools in Tutuila, the Catholics opened Marist Brothers School in Leone in the early 1900’s and later in the mid-1910’s opened the Girls School at Leloaloa and Boys School at Anua, Atuu. Later, the Mormons established Mapusaga High School in 1928 (currently the American Samoa Community College).
On January 3, 1911, the Governor of American Samoa, United States Navy (USN) Commander William M. Crose, appointed the first Board of Education, to oversee the educational system now underway. The Board included USN Chaplain H. M. Pearce, USN Assistant Surgeon W. H. Connor, and Mrs. Charles Moore, wife of a Fagatogo School Teacher. This led to the enforcement of the “Educational Rights of Children” the following year requiring all children between the ages of 6 and 13 to attend school at least 4 days a week.
The “Education Regulation Act of 1914”, issued by then Governor, USN Commander Clark D. Stearns, established the Department of Education and outlined its duties. The Act defined the 3 different classes for public schools, duties of the villages to provide suitable structures or buildings for students and teachers, and to provide suitable land for playgrounds and school plantations. The Act stipulated that “all public schools were to open for instruction for at least 4 hours a day” with Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays excluded as school days. By the mid-1910’s, the first American Samoa Hospital had opened its doors at Malaloa, “the Annex”, (1912) and the American Samoa Nurse’s Training School established in 1914 produced the first three (3) Samoan Pioneer Nurses (Initia, Feiloaiga, and Pepe) who were graduates of the LMS “Atauloma Girls School”.
In June 30, 1914, there were a total of 8 recognized formal schools on Tutuila Island - 6 were sectarian and 2 were island government. Of these eight schools, 3 were for boys, 3 were for girls, and 2 were for both boys and girls. These schools were taught by; a teacher from the United States, Catholic Marist Brothers and Sisters, Teachers of the LMS, and by Mormon Elders. [Not taken into this account are the numerous church schools, or faifeau schools scattered throughout the island.]
Added to the growth of the Public Schools was the establishment of “Poyer School” in the late-1910’s in Anua before relocating to the village of Pago Pago with Mr. David Dykstra as its school principal. The curriculum at the time were mainly set for lower and mid-grade levels (to the 6th). It was some time in the early 1920’s that the curriculum was extended to include all grades to the 8th. [Note: What remained of this 90-plus year old historic building was finally torn down in March, 2002 due to its deteriorating condition.]