Educators Honour Aiono Dr. Fanaafi Le Tagaloa

Written by Pio Sioa
Sunday, 29 June 2008
HONOURED : Aiono Dr. Fanaafi Le Tagaloa Pita, recipient of the Peter Brice Award The contribution to education by eminent educator and scholar, Aiono Dr. Fanaafi Le Tagaloa , has been honoured by her local and overseas peers. Aiono was awarded the Peter Brice Award by participants of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Pacific Circle Consortium, held this week at the Le Papaigalagala Campus of the National University of the Samoa. Leading academic educators representing 14 countries from the Pacific Island region and from distant parts of the world, applauded the lifetime achievement of the award winner in a dinner on Wednesday. The Peter Brice Award is presented “annually by the conference host country to an individual who best exemplifies the aims” of the Consortium. Gatoloai Mrs. Tilianamua Afamasaga, a local member of the PCC and a leading member of the teaching profession in Samoa, applauded the choice of Aiono Dr. Fanaafi as a deserving recipient. “Who else in the country has given so much to education than Aiono? ”Gatoloai says. “This woman has done so much for education in Samoa her many achievements speak for itself. “It is a lifetime commitment that continues to this day and deserves to be recognised many times over.” Aiono started her career in New Zealand where she ‘learned the art and practice of teaching. The road to what has become a long and highly distinguished love affair with education began with a “NZ Teacher’s A Certificate,” according to a written account of her academic life story. It was the first of a long list of academic distinctions that continued with an “Undergraduate degree in Arts ( with a double major in English Lit. and Education), an Honors degree in Education , and a DipEd. “All three degrees were completed within three years, thus earning her the McIntosh Travelling Scholarship for three years from the Victoria University College. The scholarship made it possible for Aiono to undertake post graduate studies at the University of London as the option of her choice over Oxford University. She was the holder of a PhD. Degree by 1960. “Aiono’s first teaching job at tertiary level was as a lecturer at her alma mater, Victoria College in Wellington , where she was invited to teach applied linguistics, education theory and philosophy to ‘foreign students..” “In 1965 she returned to Samoa and was Principal of the Western Samoa Teacher’s College at Malifa for one year. She was appointed assistant Director of Education in 1966 as Director of Education for the Government Education System in 1968. Samoa became Independent politically in 1962. Education was the last to be ‘samoanised’ when Aiono Dr. Fanaafi took over the principalship and Director of Education from her New Zealand predecessors. “When the Government of Samoa established the National University of Samoa, the main reason for its being, is : teach and develop, retrieve and create excellence ion the Samoa Language and Culture . Aiono was invited by the Council to be the Founding Professor and Chair of Samoan Language and Culture at Malifa, before it shifted to its beautiful and establi8shed campus at Papaigalagala. In 1977 the wish of the Samoan people to ‘have their own school like Oxford” (surfaced once again withy the establishment of the School for Fu6ther Schooling (AMOSA). Within the first three years, the Amosa became Le Iunivesete ole Amosa o Savavau (FF). Aiono is the President of the Samoan Indigenous University. Aiono is married to Le Tagaloa Pitapola and they have four children: Mr. Semisi Aiono , head of surgey at Wanganui Hospital; Dr. Leinani Salamasina, assistant clinical professor of anesthesiology at University of California Davis, Sacramento; Donna Leaniva , the Principal of the Aoga Faavae Amosa and current Ph.D scholar on the Solo Va; and Fanaafi Galumaninoa, a Ph.D student of Law, at Otago University; and five grand children . Comments (5) Subscribe to this comment's feed Malo Dr Fanaafi Aiono written by sole, June 30, 2008 Malo, e le tau faamatalatalaina au galuega lelei, ua iloa e le atunuu lou tautiga,,malo tautua Tina Lelei ua sili lona tau i penina ... sao faala written by sili, July 02, 2008 It is truly heartfelt to see this most honourable Samoan chief and mother being honoured as reported. I continued to marvel at your resolve and steadfastness to uphold virtues and values that are uniquely Samoan. Your children have sustained and have surely elevated your standing to higher grounds ... thus thank you for being part of my life as a Samoan man being taught by you in the past. You are truly a noble lady and I pray and thank God for special personalities like you. Faafetai tele lava. Marvel at a Lady that grows in Grace----------- written by Wonderful, Just Wonderful, July 02, 2008 One must marvel always when you have a Lady with class. Teach, Pray and instill learning to people. Now, this I know is a much higher calling. The lives this one Lady has touched. Wow and Wow---- Many have lived, But none so lived than the teacher that teaches what to live for--- This Samoan Boy--- I marvel, when I hear of a woman of distinct qualities that light up the world for someone else. I, would only hope to be half the accomplished teacher she has become U R My Hero written by T.Sa'u, July 08, 2008 Just want to send my Faamalo again to this fine scholar of Samoa...I had fond memories of her and my mom back in the early days of the Univesite o Samoa at Malo Fou.She's an idol, a hero, a pioneer, a visionary and no doubt she's one of those people whom any parents would wanted their kids to be. Faafetai again Dr.Aiono Fanaafi 4 da Inspiration Faafetai le fa'aea atunuu. written by Samasoni Nafatali, July 08, 2008 Ua atoa ia te oe tina se'i tulou ou paia, le poto a'oa'oina, o le tofa mamao i le gagana Samoa, ao se faautaga loloto e maua gata e se tasi. Ia fa'afetaia le Atua o le ua na foa'i tele atu i lau afioga le tamaoaiga. Faafetai le saili malo ma le faaea atunuu. Ua e asaina tai tetele ma e fagota i tai loloto ina ia maua se i'a aua alo fai a'e o le atunu'u. Ua moni ai le upu a le tusi, ua e faia lava e oe mea e tele ma e manumalo ai lava. Ia alofa le Atua ia ola lau usisusi le fatu ua e totoina iai latou sa e a'oa'oina ma nisi o loo e tufa i ai mea alofa aemaise tama fanau a le atunuu o lo'o taumafai i tulaga o le a'oa'oina aua se lumana'i manuia o Samoa. Write comment Name Email Title Comment
Last Updated ( Monday, 30 June 2008 )

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