A’eau Chris Hazelman, CEO of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), has confirmed that the annual Champ of Champs (CoC) event will not take place this year.
The Samoa Secondary School Principal’s Association failed to secure the Apia Park Stadium in time, as it was already booked for Rugby Union events involving Manu Samoa.
The MEC had earlier declared September as a blackout period for school activities, in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October.
Principals were informed at the start of the year that all school events needed to be completed by August 30th.
Additionally, many schools are still in the process of completing their internal assessments (I.A.’s) and covering the required syllabus.
This further contributed to the decision to cancel the CoC event. Inspections in Savai’i are complete, but some schools in Upolu are still behind schedule.
This year’s adjustments stem from Samoa’s preparations for CHOGM, leading to a more rigid school calendar and the enforcement of the September blackout.
