Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entrance age to pre-primary education is three. Free pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks. Compulsory pre-primary education is not provided for in legal frameworks. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes has decreased from 32.60 in 2000 to 22.68 in 2024.
Governance
In Samoa, non-state actors, including church-run and community-based centres, are the primary providers of pre-primary education. The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC) has overall responsibility for policy, financing, and the implementation of education sector plans. The oversight of early childhood education (ECE) in Samoa is shared between the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development (MWCSD) and the Ministry of Education and Culture (MESC). The MWCSD plays a central coordinating role, particularly in broader early childhood development (ECD) initiatives. It also leads the implementation of the 2024-2034 Strategic Framework for Early Childhood Development in Samoa, which brings together representatives of the ministries of MESC, Health, Finance, and Environment.
Tuition-free status
Free pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Samoa operates a centralised government system, with the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture providing grant funds directly to ECE centres through the One Government Grant Scheme (OGG), as outlined in the next section of this profile.
2. Education resources to institutions
The Samoan government took over the funding of tuition fees for all students through the One Government Grant Scheme (OGG). The annual state-funded grant is provided for all government, mission, private, ECE centres, and special schools in accordance with the Education Sector Plan 2019-2024. The grant is calculated and distributed per child after the signing of an OGG fund agreement. The funds must be spent in accordance with the OGG Fund Manual and may include expenses for staffing, resource procurement, and utility payments.
3. Education resources to students and families
The Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC) does not provide direct support to families for education costs. Instead, it offers financial support to schools through the One Government Grant Scheme. This grant is intended to replace school fees for students at primary and some secondary levels, reducing the financial burden on families by eliminating tuition payments to schools.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No information was found on social policies and programmes to provide resources directly to children and their families. The 2024-2034 Strategic Framework for Early Childhood Development in Samoa provides an overview of MWCSD’s efforts to expand access to early childhood development and pre-primary education services.
