These kids should be disciplined...very naughty and could be out of their minds...i am a Samoan residing from Vanuatu have heard of the violence and the damages have caused, ...how have these little kids have destroyed our image in the Pacific,....also i have just presented a topic regarding the stability of our country in the region,...which interuptedly this dispute have stormed in the media and criticised Samoa being a stable country in the region,...my point is, these kids and also teachers who have involved in this mess should consider their minds before they do it,...it affects our status in the Pacific,...im a proud Samoan and very fond our beloved country Samoa,...so please STOP SUCH MESS, ma le faaaloalo lava,

Soifua,
Quote "Unbelievable"

I think these things happen because we are allowing our young kids to have too much freedom and rights. I think maybe us - parents are spending too much time and too busy with all the faalavelaves, watching gulong and sapiling mo and arguing with government policies rather than focusing on our future..... 'our kids'. We had seen what happen in Tonga two years ago and now it seems the same thing is happening in our country too. Its shameful to all those who were involved.

Anyway we should look foward now and try to think positively to ways we can stop our kids behave in the way they did. My point is ' THE FAULT OF THE CHILD IS THE FAILURE OF THE PARENT' Come on Samoan parents, bring back the amo and the fusipau to keep those kids under control. When they behave like that...... I cant see any reason whey they should not get the smack. For all the Samoan kids.... Please your parents send you to school to learn, and be able to get a good job to serve you family and community and country. I'm sure no parent is sending their kids to school to make sure that particular school wins a rugby tournament or even a fight. Teachers who encourage our kids to do such things should be sent to Irag and put in the front line to face the taliban. Ia manuia si tatou atunuu mo le lumanai.

I, too, am a proud Samoan (NZ born) but I disagree with Crack's comments. National/Samoan pride is not at risk here, it is the welfare of young minds that are being moulded by outside influences.

School rivalry is universal, and when expressed in a healthy way displays one's pride, and sense of belonging to one's school. However, when molotov cocktails, and rocks are being hurled indiscriminately I ask myself "What is causing this violent behaviour?"

I visited Samoa very recently, and I was told by one of my cousins who attends a college in Apia that they have been banned from going into the city because of interschool violence. I knew it happened in Aotearoa NZ where I live but didn't imagine that could happen in a country where faaaloalo is paramount! I believe much of what is happening in the minds of our youth is influenced by outside factors - western music, television, and the like. I'm not saying ban these things but how many of Samoa's folk understand the detrimental effects of too much junk food, television, listening to music that degrades authority figures, the very people Samoa esteems to be important.

I say it starts at the top. If Samoa's government can regulate what goes into this small yet easily influenced country, and educate at every level based on other country's experiences of the ill effects of these, and the like, then that is a start. Let's not buy into the punitive systems of the West; instead let's look at what is at the heart of these conflicts. That is the Samoan way.

Serious enough for heads to role I believe. The Principal of Don Bosco and the Catholic Schools Director should resign, and the Principals of Avele and Leifiifi remprimanded. The warning signs have been around for sometime and nothing has been done!!! Families of the students who attend these schools would know of the bullying and the lack of discipline that has been going on for some time now. St Jo is lucky not to have been involved.''

The young lady who was burnt, if she survives, is scarred for life.

Sounds like the Juvenile Centre is going to have to meet the challenge and not become yet another breeding ground for delinquents to hang out.

I am a Samoa. My children are Samoa. We stay here in the East Coast of Georgia.. I was raise in well health family and well known family in Samoa.. Ask my children about their Samoa life here in the States. They are raise like they are in Samoa. The Bible said, Spare the rod and when he grow up he will not turn away from that. ( Sasa le tama e tusa ma ona ala, a ona ina matua e le tea ese ai.) Those are the word that I was brought up. Now in Samoa children are not disobidence by there parents..It seem like Samoa people in the States are more respect than the people at home (Samoa). Lotu afiafi are the main thing when we growning up. SAMOA MUAMUA LE ATUA==== FAAVAE LE ATUA SAMOA

Aloha.......

I'm a graduate student at UH, Manoa Hawaii. I'm a Samoan and proudly to respond to issues that are crucially related to our Samoan youths nowadays. I thought so too that youth resided in the mainland were more than worse unlike the ones at home (Samoa). Then again I was erroneous. I remembered, in the past generation a Samoan child was trained at an early age how to speak, as well as performing appropriate behavior. I've heard relentless incidents occurred from four corners of our small rock, that discredit our own nationality especially "aganuu." I strongly emphasized that parents should encourage and remind their children about the culture and Faaleagaga. A suitable behavior begins from home or AIGA. "O matua o faiaoga muamua"........I want to address our Samoan religious premise again...."Samoa Mo le Atua" or "Faavae le Atua Samoa". PRANK...... Why BLASPHEME???? O fea ea lena faavae ao loo tutupu pea faalavelave i o tatou tagata?


MAHALO and God bless Samoa


Tee

Hopefully the Police will act to pre-empt these hooligans going on the rampage again. There was clear pre-meditation here by Don Bosco. Avele's principal is to be commended for her efforts these past couple of years to end inter-school violence. These efforts are well documented in the media vis-a-vis Avele/St Josephs peace talks. It seems Don Bosco is still in the stone age. These 'students' are supposed to be at post-secondary school level yet they still think they're at High School. I have worked with a recent Principal of Don Bosco and I feel saddened for him. He is a good man. His school has disgraced him.

The Police need to stop taking a laid-back approach to interschool hooliganism. To be fair to them, nothing like this has happened in the past. They were completely taken off guard. Never again should this be the case. The riot gear that was prepared for the RHD protesters should instead be on standby for all future inter-school rugby and sports events. Perhaps they should put the riot gear on in a show of force at the Apia bus terminal for the next year or so, to show any passing student that the Police mean business. Police should also patrol outside schools at the end of the school day.

I agree with Geoff. There were hundreds of police during the recent PASS anti-switch march in Apia and they even had their protective gears ready at the side of the parliament building. And yet they were only a handful of them patrolling the bus stops at Savalalo and Fugalei which are the main spots for students to meet and wait for buses on their ways home. Police need to stop making excuses and step up their act. They are supposed to protect every Samoan citizen, visitor and foreigner alike, from all walks of life, not just the PM, Cabinet ministers and MPs. More police should be placed near the bus stops and please we need more alert police!!. Not the ones that spend their times drinking koko Samoa and eat panikeke in the markets and not watching the ongoings around them!.

I hope and wish for a better Samoa. Well trained Police Officers be prepared take all incidents seriously minor infractions ,misdeameanor or felony acts of violence is uncontitutional in any societ nowadadays.Samoa must have certain governmental codes to thoroughly state laws of arrest when it comes to juveniles that are problematic and out of control.Lets get our schools and commuinties involved .Educate the public of the seriousness of this issue.Samoa lets get to the bottom of this mess. Soifua

I taught as a Peace Corps Volunteer at Don Bosco from 1992-1994. I am truly saddened to read of this tragic incident -- these are not the Don Bosco students that I knew.

[i lived in da united states for more than 20 years but im from malifa. its so sad to hea wat is going on in da schools in samoa. in our days we didnt have this kind of a problem; everybody got along so well and very respectful to each other. when visiting samoa last year everything has change. it was nice but da custom was not really there anymore. samoa's foundation is God but crusing around apia bars and nite clubs r all lined up together. i had cn a lot of samoan teenages drinking and partying almost every nite. samoa has put aside there belief in God. i think this is wea da problem is coming into schools. not enough discipline in schools and the people are not abiding in the Word of God. No matter wat da community try to do to put the teenages in dea position it will neva happen if we dont pray hard to have God to take control in our schools. policemen are too laid back. they get drunk and work at the same time; and also they worried about fooling around with teenages but dont do there job. i hope its a wake up call for them to look in their job seriously.

soifua ma ia manuia

I don't know if that comment The Failure Of The Children Is the Fault Of the Parents!!!! And enforcing the Amo is always the solution, It might work for some parents but not all (generalizing). I can not agree that the parents of Samoa whom lived and adapt the life style is always at fault when the children behaves poorly from time to time. We establish our culture and heritage and I believed it still strongly exist in the heart of Samoa. We become modernize over century, life changes as understanding progress, society plays a role in the children of samoa. I know you can disagree with me but the fact of the matter is parents in samoa maintains more morals and values for their children because the lack of fudamental resouce to assist our counrty. I do belive the teaching of solomon E sasa le tama e tusa mo ona ala. Faafetai.