Caption:Dr. Taitaifono Otineru (seated) and her Adult Education, Literacy and Extended Learning staff will begin Registration and Appraisal this week for the Adult Basic Education program at the College. (Photo:
J. Kneubuhl)

The AELEL division at ASCC receives grant funding for the ABE program from the Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL), a subsidiary of the US Department of Education with the stated aim of helping American adults get the basic skills they need to be productive workers, family members and citizens. DAEL programs emphasize basic skills such as reading, writing, math, English language competency, and problem-solving. In designing an ABE program to suit the needs of American Samoa residents, Dr. Otineru and her staff created a curriculum which includes the five subjects covered by the GED exam, specifically math, reading, writing, social studies and science.

            In addition to the GED-related courses, the ABE program also focuses on the basic skills necessary in a modern society. As Dr. Otineru explains, “We basically have three strands. The first, Adult Basic Education, teaches functional skills and civic skills such as how to open a checking account, how to make a doctor’s appointment, where to go to vote, and so forth. The second strand, English as a Second Language, targets the population who do not know a word of English, such as foreigners who have just arrived. The third strand consists of our GED courses.”

            The ABE program holds four nine-week terms over the course of the year. Each term begins with Registration and Appraisal, during which students receive counseling on which areas of study they need to focus on in order to pass the GED test, or which civics class would benefit them the most. “Anyone can sign up to take any of the classes we offer,” says Dr. Otineru. “During any given term we usually offer more than one section of any class, but if an individual still cannot attend because of scheduling conflicts, he or she can simply come back during the next term for the class. We don’t require that participants in our program finish their classes within a time frame, so they can progress at their own pace.”

Because the ABE classes do not earn participants grades or credit towards ASCC degrees, individuals may repeat them as often as needed. The program limits class size to 20 students per section, but Dr. Otineru says she and her staff can organize additional sections of any given subject according to demand.  The local Department of Education administers the GED test at the end of each term for ABE participants who feel ready for it, and as a special benefit the DOE even waives the test fee for those who have taken ABE classes.

            The classes take place on the ASCC campus, as well as satellite sites at the ECE Leone building, the ECE Tafuna building, and the ECE Iutita Savali building in Fagatogo. Dr. Otineru says that ABE will soon establish an additional satellite site of its courses in the Eastern District. Registration and Appraisal for this year’s second term begins this Thursday, March 22nd. Dr. Otineru encourages anyone interested in taking ABE classes to contact the AELEL division and come in for counseling. “Many adults wish they had a second chance to learn the skills many of us take for granted,” she says, “and this program gives them that chance. The federal government wants to make basic education available to anyone who needs it, and even offers this opportunity free of charge. We hope that word will spread about our program, and that anyone interested will contact us.”

            For more information, call the ASCC main switchboard at 699-9155 during regular business hours, and ask for the Adult Education division. 

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