He was first appointed pro chancellor in 2014.

The National University of Samoa Council unanimously supported A'eau and its recommendation was accepted by Cabinet.

A'eau served as the Director of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia from 2003 to 2016.

He is a former teacher with the Marist High School and Leone High School in American Samoa and continued his teaching career with the Catholic Colleges in Samoa and the Moamoa Theological College.

A'eau holds a BA in Geography and Sociology; and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from the USP Suva Fiji.

He comes from the villages of Falealupo and Lepea. He is married with two children.

Source

• talamua.com
• Image: samoaobserver.ws

The principals of Avele and St. Joseph's Colleges met last Friday in an effort to find a solution.

Last Thursday fighting broke out after a school rugby match at the Saint Joseph's grounds at Alafua.

None of the current students from either colleges were involved in Thursday's brawl.

This is not the first time that Avele and St Joseph's Colleges have been involved in fights in public places.

Several years ago, the Government stepped in and stopped all inter-school sporting competitions when the fighting got worse.

A female student was seriously burnt when a kerosene bomb was thrown at the crowd during the fight at a public bus station.

The principals of both colleges today expressed sadness over Thursday's incident and have vowed to work together in ending what they called "this longstanding sickness".

Source

• Talamua
• Image: Talamua

The video, posted on Facebook, showing a St. Joseph's College student being beaten by another student while other students look on, has gone viral.

They are also likely to face police charges.

The Director of Catholic Schools, A'eau Chris Hazelman, said that this is the second time such an incident has occurred at the school.

Because of this, "we are taking the matter further".

"We have met with the Police and they are investigating it".

A'eau said the incident is disappointing but "the matter is beyond our control and that is why we have decided to refer it to police".

"We have identified all of the boys in the video and the principal has contacted the parents of these students who were expelled today".

A'eau recalled that, after the first incidence of a similar video going viral online three years ago, immediate action was taken with expulsion.

"There was also a student handbook of which there were two rules that clearly points to zero tolerance on bullying and if it happens it would mean immediate expulsion".

"There was also another policy that we drew up regarding social media, that any pictures or videos that shows students in school, during school time and in school uniform that is doing harm to a student or will place the school in a negative light will get automatic expulsion".

Samoan teenagers aged 13-15 are among the most bullied and most violent youth in East Asia and the Pacific, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (U.N.I.C.E.F.).

A report released last year by the Agency, titled "Hidden In Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children," reveals that almost three quarters of Samoan youth have experienced bullying, while more than two thirds have reported being in a physical fight.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Observer
• Radio New Zealand International
• Image: Flickr/US Embassy

Director of Catholic Education, Aeau Chris Hazelman, said the students were involved in some misconduct in the previous week and had been sent home by the principal, Sr Monica Vaipuna. And the Principal is reportedly sticking to her guns.

She did not accept the traditional presentation and instead reaffirmed to the students "they were under suspension for a week."

Samoan culture has strict ways of showing respect to one another, and the ifoga (pronounced ee-FONG-ah) is perhaps the best example of atoning for one's wrongdoing. The ifoga is a ritual apology where the offending party demonstrates remorse by begging for forgiveness.

Before dawn, the guilty party arrives at the home of the person whom he has offended and kneels outside the home. An important part of the ifoga is the fine mat, or 'ie toga, considered of the highest value in Samoan culture, 'Ie toga (ee-ah TONG-ah) are woven with pandanus leaves and take months, if not years, to complete. Fine mats represent the wealth of the weavers' community and are presented as gifts. 'Ie toga are so labor-intensive that they will never be used on the floor. Once those receiving ifoga have forgiven the guilty party, they accept the 'ie toga as a symbol of the atonement and forgiveness. Regardless of any legal action taken by a court, the ifoga remains an essential part of Samoan culture as a demonstration of sincere remorse and respect.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Seacology Blog
• Image: Tai Awatea

Prefects at Don Bosco, a Catholic technical institution, finished a six-day suspension on Friday after an assault on a fellow student last week for which they all claimed responsibility.

Nearly all of the school's Year Four, 35 students, walked out in protest at the punishment handed to the prefects and they too were given suspensions of six days.

Aeau Chris Hazelman says the link between bullying and inter-school brawls in public places was identified several years ago and is why bullies are dealt with more harshly now.

He says class leaders in Catholic schools are told that under no circumstances are they to lay a hand on students and suspension or expulsion are the penalities for bullying.

Don Bosco Technical Centre is a Catholic technical school offering technical education and vocation training for 350 young men aged 16 - 20 years . The Centre, which is situated on the outskirts of Apia, the capital of Samoa, caters for students who have not previously experienced educational success, providing the opportunity for them to learn a trade through ‘hands-on' experience.

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• Salesians of Don Bosco
• Image: Screenshot from YouTube

The allegations were made and then withdrawn when he was working at the University of the South Pacific, but he was "let go".

Director of Catholic Education Aeau Chris Hazelman said they were only made aware of the allegations against the man on last Tuesday.

The man was a former staff member at the University of the South Pacific but was "let go" following allegations "of a sexual nature" leveled against him by female USP students. The Samoa Observer understands that a complaint has been lodged with the Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG).

President of the organization, Lina Chang confirmed that the complaint lodged with them is of a sexual harassment nature but she declined to discuss the details.

She said there had been allegations against him by students, mainly girls, but these were withdrawn.

USP interim Campus Director, Leatuaolevao Ruby Va'a confirmed that he was a staff member at the university "but he was never a teacher." She declined to confirm exactly whether the complaints from students were of sexual harassment. She said it was unfortunate that they were not given the chance to investigate.

"So we ended up with allegations," she said adding that they were "very serious."

A complaint was also not filed with the Police.

Source

• The Samoa Observer
• Image: Travel Magazine