Deadline Extended: CEO Calls Parents to pay their Children’s Exam Fees

By Lise Schmidt/

Apia, Samoa – 16 October 2024 – The Ministry of Education is extending the deadline for parents to pay their children’s exam fees in light of low payment rates.

In a live-streamed message today, Aeau Chris Hazelman, CEO of the Ministry of Education, urged parents to settle their children’s exam fees ahead of the upcoming national exams. With only two weeks to go, the Ministry is extending its deadline to October 30 due to the low payment rate.

This morning, Aeau made an urgent appeal to parents of Year 4, Year 10, and Year 12 students regarding unpaid exam fees. With national exams set to commence on November 10, Aeau stressed the critical need for timely payments to ensure all students can participate fully.

As of the previous deadline on September 27, only 40% of students had paid their fees, prompting the Ministry to extend the deadline to 4 October. Unfortunately, many students still have not paid particularly for Year 10 and Year 12 forcing the Ministry to set a final deadline of October 30.

Aeau outlined the specific fees required for registration and subjects: Year 4 students need to pay $4 for registration and $6 per subject, while Year 12 students pay a fee of $28 for registration and $28 for each subject.

“We urge parents to look upon their children with compassion and fulfill their financial obligations,” Aeau urged. “This is our plea to all parents from government, private, and mission schools alike—please pay up your children’s fees.”

The upcoming exams are crucial for students as the results determine their progress to the next academic level, making it imperative for all eligible candidates to be registered and sit the exams.

Aeau pleaded with the parents to take immediate action to ensure their children are not left behind.