Samoa banned the use of corporal punishment in 2013.

But a proposed amendment to the Education Bill 2009, section 23, would allow teachers in schools to use reasonable force to discipline children.

Ombudsman Maiava Iulai Toma, who heads Samoa's Human Rights Institution, says he doesn't understand the motivation for change.

Last week, in its capacity as the country's national human rights institution, his office made a submission to the Parliamentary Social Committee.

The submission proposed deferring a vote on the amendment until parliament and the government have had the opportunity to consider an inquiry report and its recommendations due for release this month.

Justice Vui Clarence Nelson says he's at a loss as to why the Ministry of Education is pushing the bill.

"Nobody seems to understand the reason behind the pursuit of this amendment to the Education Act," Nelson says.

"This law is a retrograde step. We're going backwards."

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has downplayed concerns that the use of "reasonable force" in schools is a step backwards for Samoa.

In July, during his weekly programme with the media, the Prime Minister said the amendment was in response to requests from the public.

"At times when fights break out between schools, the students don't even care about the presence of police officers at the scenes, they continue on fighting and they sometimes fight the officers.

"And after those fights I've had people visit me in my office, asking the Government to bring back corporal punishment to teach the students lessons - and this is love," he said.

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• radionz.co.nz
• sobserver.ws
• sobserver.ws
• sobserver.ws
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Collins had been one of the last of the delegates to arrive at the Vatican.

He was not the original delegate chosen to represent Oceania.

But a last-minute withdrawal of a youth delegate from the Cook Islands gave him the opportunity to attend the meeting.

He left for Rome on 16 March.

Collins said he couldn't believe it when he was selected to welcome the Holy Father when he came to the meeting.

"I was just speechless when the security escorted me outside where the Pope arrived," he said.

Dressed in a red and white elei shirt and cream ie faitaga Collins stood close to the Pope Francis while cameras were clicking.

Pope Francis greeted the hundreds of young people gathered and asked them "to speak bravely" and inject a dose of creativity to a Church "in need of young prophets."

Collins is in Rome for two weeks and has been posting photos and clips on his Facebook page for his family and friends at home.

He is from the Holy Family Parish at Tafuna.

The son of Nixon and Iulia Collins of Iliili, Paul has been an altar boy, choir conductor, and youth leader in his parish.

The Faasao Marist graduate is also an American Samoa national soccer player.

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• talanei.com
• samoanews.com
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Marie Margret Ripley's deep and strong values are inspired by her influential teacher, Sister Patrick, who taught many of Samoa's secretarial skills at St. Mary's, Savalalo in the late 1950s.

Sister Patrick belonged to the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) who established numerous girls' schools throughout the Pacific Islands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Ripley is the last of Sister Patrick's students still carrying the baton and inspiring younger public servants.

At 81 years old, she wants to continue her service despite her age. "As long as God gives me the strength to work, I will work," she told Talamua after last Friday's Public Service Day ceremony, where she was honoured as the country's longest-serving public servant.

Sister Patrick's students have worked for Samoa's Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and business executives in the country's formative years after independence.

Sister Patrick's pupils have formed a group called The Sister Patrick's Golden Girls Association.

Members of the association include mothers and women who have worked in a variety of areas - hospitality, tourism, politics, business, fashion design and activism.

Each year they come together for an annual end-of-the-year party.

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• Talamua
• Janet's Blog
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The name was chosen by a representative workshop group of the many young people who go there.

The process used to choose the name is in keeping with the studio's philosophy.

The studio is designed for youth to create their own projects and to share amongst themselves.

Their facebook page says the aim of Le Tuiga Samoa is "about bringing together the power of Samoan culture, community, and technology to develop skills and enterprise for the 21st Century.

"Many church and social youth groups in Samoa are led by ‘youths' who are in their 30s, so many young people grow up never having had the chance to learn, make mistakes and practise leadership and group skills on their own," said Marj Moore in the Samoa Observer.

"That young people should make these decisions themselves was not something our youth was used to" said Moore.

"Samoan culture also leans more towards a 'listen to your elders and do as they say' system rather than shared opinions which are respected."

But leadership and decision-making is what is being fostered and encouraged at Le Tuiga Samoa, and in fact celebrated.

The three million tala [US$1.3 million] four-year project targeted at over 5,300 young Samoans between the ages of 8 and 25 both in and out of school was officially launched in March.

The facility boasts a film studio, music studio, adobe suite programmes, animation programmes and space for community engagement.

The High Tech Youth Network Studio (HTYN) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered in New Zealand, the United States and Hawaii.

Each country gets to choose a name for its studio.

It is funded by grants from the New Zealand Government as well as contributions from private and corporate donors.

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• Samoa Observer
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• Talamua
• Pacific Island Report
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