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Samoa College celebrated in December 2003 its golden jubilee marking 50 years of
dedicated service to Samoa's educational needs.
This is a significant milestone in the history of the
college and one that SCOPA would like to be part of, and to acknowledge in an appropriate way;
hence the request for the construction of an educational, cultural and sports multipurpose
Centre.
Samoa College has a current school roll in excess of 800 drawn from all over
the country. It has classes from level 9 to level 13. Students in year 12 sit the
Samoa School Certificate exam and year 13, the Pacific Secondary School
Certificate. Samoa College continues to be the leading academic secondary
school in the country, a factor not lost on SCOPA; hence the determination to
give back something to the school.
SCOPA 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT
Multipurpose Educational, Cultural, Social and Recreational/Sports Centre
A SUMMARY
1. Project Title :
Construction of a Multipurpose Educational, Cultural, Social
and Recreational/Sports Centre
This is to be implemented by SCOPA in collaboration with Samoa College and the
Education Department.
2. Objectives :
To provide a much needed multipurpose facility to be used
collectively by Samoa College, some tertiary institutions, SCOPA and the community at large for a variety of activities:
(i) Samoa College
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as an educational centre for activities like school assemblies, drama and musical productions, debates/speech competitions, graduation ceremonies, school and national/regional examinations, school library and computer laboratory:
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as a convention centre for national/regional conferences, meetings, workshops, trainings:
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as a sports centre for Samoa College or inter-school competitions in indoor sports like table tennis, badminton, netball, volleyball, basketball,
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as a recreational and fitness centre for weight trainings and fitness classes etc,
(ii) SCOPA
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as a cultural centre, the proposed facility will serve as the Head Office for SCOPA, and the main base of operations for its Executive Committee.
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the centre will also be utilized for the association's fundraising and social activities.
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the center will provide the appropriate venue for SCOPA to conduct its proposed after school mentoring and tutorial classes for Samoa college students in Years 12 and 13 in need of such assistance.
(iii) Community /Tertiary Institutions
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as a cultural centre, recreational or sports centre, the community will have at its disposal a modern building with adequate capacity to host fund raising activities, family events like weddings, birthday parties, re-unions
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tertiary institutions could also utilize the facility for graduation ceremonies, conferences, trainings or for indoor sports activities.
(iv) Government
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the construction of the center will provide the Samoan government with an alternative venue to host government functions, conferences, entertainments etc given the interest by international organizations to hold meetings etc here.
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6. Estimated Total Cost:
SAT1.0 million
7. External Financing
Required : SAT0.55 million
8. Description:
Samoa College was formally established in October 1953 when Samoa was under the New Zealand administration. It is co-educational and was set up as the premier tertiary education provider to prepare the would-be leaders of Samoa for the impending task of nationhood in 1962. Samoa College has responded well to this challenge over its 49 years history as evidenced by the number of people who had served, and continue to serve Samoa well in various capacities, covering every imaginable sphere of life.
SCOPA is a by-product of Samoa College, it being an association of former students of the latter established to maintain links with Samoa College and to undertake projects from time to time to assist with the development of the school. As a voluntary association, SCOPA is an NGO and a registered member of SUNGO. It has no source of steady income and it relies on the goodwill of its members, the support of the wider community and the generosity of the international aid donors.
Samoa College hopes to celebrate in October 2003 its golden jubilee marking 50 years of dedicated service to Samoa's educational needs. This is a significant milestone in the history of the college and one that SCOPA would like to be part of, and to acknowledge in an appropriate way - hence the request for the construction of an educational, cultural and sports multipurpose Centre.
Samoa College has a current school roll in excess of 800 drawn from all over the country. It has classes from level 9 to level 13. Students in year 12 sit the Samoa School Certificate exam and year 13, the Pacific Secondary School Certificate. Samoa College continues to be the leading academic secondary school in the country, a factor not lost on SCOPA - hence the determination to give back something to the school.
Though Samoa College is a government-funded school, it competes with all other schools for the same financial and human resources made available annually through the department of Education. Budgetary constraints has meant Samoa College has been without, amongst other necessities, a proper multipurpose centre for school activities like school assemblies, graduation ceremonies, examinations, school competitions, drama productions etc. This situation has been allowed to exist for over a decade following the two cyclones in the early1990s that destroyed the old college hall and a number of schoolrooms.
Though government had completed the construction of new classrooms to replace the damaged ones, there is no sign yet of a new hall being planned for construction in the immediate future.
SCOPA (and its affiliates) over the years of its existence had responded to some of Samoa College needs through the construction of a Samoan fale for the teaching of the Samoan language and culture, the main gate at the college's entrance to enhance appearance and for added security, tennis court for sports development, a computer laboratory, scholarships for students to study at the college, a hall which also sustained damages and now inadequate and inappropriate for the needs of Samoa College - and other assistance in kind.
The proposed multipurpose center would be able to cater for the diverse needs of Samoa College and its major shareholders, i.e. the government, the Education Department, the community and the college alumni.
Samoa College will celebrate its golden jubilee in 2003. Naturally, SCOPA members feel they have a moral duty to commemorate the occasion with the gifting to the college of a project that will be beneficial to the current and future students of Samoa College, including the wider community. Not surprisingly, the choice to build a centre capable of hosting a range of activities was a popular decision indeed.
The centre will be built on a 2-acre plot of land (leased by government to SCOPA) immediately behind Samoa College. The location is ideal because of its proximity to other tertiary institutions like the National University, Samoa Polytechnic, Vaivase and Magiagi primary schools etc all of which are potential future users of the centre For SCOPA as an association, having a physical presence right next to Samoa College strengthens and enhances a sense of belongingness, closer affinity and affiliation to Samoa College
The project comprises:
1. supply of building materials, (timber, bricks, corrugated roofing materials, cement, windows, doors) electrical wiring, plumbing works, steel work, fencing, landscaping, car park, site works etc to enable the project to proceed expeditiously with SCOPA contributing in kind through the payment of the team of builders to be secured through open competitive bidding. The SCOPA members would be responsible for the traditional payment to the builders at the official dedication and handing over of the new centre.
2. The project implementation, from start to finish is divided into the following identifiable stages, viz;
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stage 1: Aug-Sep 2002: finalization of centre
drawing and costing of whole project
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stage 2: Oct-Nov 2002: competitive tendering
for construction of centre
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stage 3: Dec 2002: selection of successful tender
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stage 4: Jan-Sep 2003: construction of centre
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stage 5: Sep 2003: landscaping, car parking and building of security fence
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stage 6. October 2003: project completion date
and formal handing over to Samoa
College.
9. Project Duration :
Approximately one year with 8 to 9 months of
construction work
10. Expected Implementation Date:
In the last quarter of 2002 or thereafter (but
immediately) once funding is secured for purchase of building /construction materials
11. Donors involved:
AusAID for the landscaping/ car parking and fencing
of the centre when completed. Otherwise, none approached and none committed
12. Contact Persons:
(i) Hon Palusalue Faapo II
Patron, SCOPA
(ii) Leota Ituau Ale
President, SCOPA
(iii) Afamasaga Faamatala Toleafoa OR Laki Uaea Apelu
Joint Leaders, Multipurpose Centre Project
B PURPOSE
The Government has accorded top priority to the development and improvement of
the educational and health sectors in Samoa. This policy has been given the necessary political backing and willpower through endorsements made in the current Strategy for the Development of Samoa (SDS) which generally provides a blueprint of Government's vision and mission of where the country is heading in the next two to three years.
Samoa College has been without a proper multipurpose centre for some time now despite its academic standing vis-à-vis other secondary schools in the country. Consequently, it has not been able to stage a number of useful college initiatives due to the absence of a proper centre.
While as a government college one would normally expect the Department of Education to provide such essential facilities such as a multipurpose centre, the competing demands from other schools vying for a share of the limited resources at the department's disposal has meant a continuous deferral of the construction of a Samoa College centre.
One of the features of governments SDS is the provision of an enabling environment to allow voluntary organizations like SCOPA to play a partnership role with government institutions to contribute to the development of Samoa with worthwhile educational and community projects. The proposed multipurpose centre comes under this category.
Government's support for the project has already been evidenced by the allocation of 2 acres of prime land to be leased to SCOPA plus the monetary grant of SAT$15,000 from the Totaliser Agency Board (TAB) chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance as seed money for the project.
C ESTIMATE OF RESOURCES NEEDED
(a) Technical Requirements:
The work to be undertaken includes:
- construction of a multipurpose educational, cultural, social, recreational sports centre for the use of Samoa College, neighbouring tertiary institutions, SCOPA members and the wider community. The centre will have adequate space to hold school assemblies, examinations, conferences/meetings, computer lab and library, graduation ceremonies, drama productions and school competitions, indoor sports and community functions like weddings, birthday celebrations etc.
(b) Human Resource Requirement
SCOPA's contribution would be through the provision of surveying and
architectural assistance, the building contractors and in-kind when the centre is officially dedicated and handed over to Samoa College
(i) Implementation personnel - surveyor, architect, clerk of works and
building contractor
(c) Financial Requirements
(i) Estimate of overall cost (as at August 2002)
The main elements of cost are (in
SAT$)
overall cost: SAT 454,000
+ 20% contingency: SAT 90,000
(to cover any price increases in the various
cost components between submission of
project proposal, approval of same, and
eventual disbursement of funds])
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544,000
TOTAL PROJECT COST ESTIMATE - 550,000
(d) Expected Project Impact
1. Physical Effects
The major physical effect will be the availability of a new multipurpose centre to replace the old and run down one that was demolished by the cyclone over a decade ago. The new centre will improve the overall image of the area in particular the land between Samoa College, the National University and Samoa Polytechnic. As a centre catering for a diverse range of needs makes its proposed location ideally suitable given its proximity to Samoa College major shareholders and likely future users. The setting aside of part of the 2 acre land to develop a full-sized rugby playing field quite close to the existing tennis court will not only enhance the overall appearance and physical layout of the land but it also augurs well for the area to exude an air of educational and sports excellence.
2. Economic Benefits
Education is not only a priority focus of government but it has also been made compulsory. A solid educational grounding at the secondary level is essential for continued success at the tertiary and university level. The teaching of culture at school and the importance of students being culturally aware of their "roots" are necessary ingredients for a stable society. Educated people from a stable environment are by and large happy and contented people who find employment in a variety of fields thus making them productive members of society.
3. Social Benefits
A new multipurpose centre will readily compliment the schools role as a premier secondary school in Samoa. Parents, the business community will more readily donate to the upkeep of the center if it's new. Talents now dormant in creative areas i.e. drama productions, public debates, oratory competitions will be revived. The community will have an alternative venue for community activities. Overall, the project would see a significant improvement of parents, SCOPA, Samoa College and community participation in school activities and would help to strengthen the linkages and relationships between the college PTA, teaching staff, the Education Department, SCOPA and the ordinary member of the public.
D FINANCIAL MODALITIES
It is hoped that the financial assistance requested will be made available in the form of either an accountable cash grant, or through the JICA Office procuring the materials directly from the suppliers etc
SCOPA's Contribution
SCOPA will contribute by way of payment for the costs/fee of the building contractors.
It will also be responsible for al costs associated with the traditional dedication and handing over of the project to Samoa College through the Education Department.
These contributions, financial and in-kind, will enhance a sense of "ownership" of the multipurpose centre by SCOPA and Samoa College and will help to create a feeling of attachment to the project thus guaranteeing its sustainability over a long period of time.
E MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION
The project will be implemented by the SCOPA Multipurpose Centre Projects Team in close collaboration with the SCOPA Executive Committee and monitored by the JICA Office to check on progress and to ensure that funds are being used properly for the purpose, which they were approved. The Building Inspectorate Section of the Public Works Department and the Fire Services Division of the Police and Prisons Department will all be involved to monitor compliance with Samoa's building code and relevant fire regulations.
The management of the entire project will be the responsibility of SCOPA through its Executive Council.
Apia, August 2002.
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