Soroban Competition aims to promote Soroban Education in Tonga [1]
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - 17:20. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
THE Embassy of Japan in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Women's affairs and Culture will host nation-wide Soroban Competition with the purpose of promoting Soroban education here in the Kingdom of Tonga.
This nation-wide event will begin with Vava'u competition at Fakamelino Hall on October 22nd followed by Ha'apai competition at GPS Pangai on October 29th. Eua competition will take place on November 26th and the competition for students in Tongatapu is scheduled to take place in March, 2011.
Class 3 to Class 5 students of Soroban are target participants for this year's Soroban competition. Participants will compete in three different categories of Soroban calculation; Written Problems, Oral problems and Flash problems. Various prizes will be given to those who have achieved outstanding results at each category.
Soroban education was introduced in the Kingdom of Tonga in the late 1970's with the aim of helping Tongan students improve their mathematical skills. Japan has been supporting Soroban education in Tonga for long years by dispatching JICA volunteers as one of the crucial technical cooperation in the field of education. Now, learning Soroban has become a compulsory element of Mathematics education among class 3 to class 5 students of Government primary schools.
In June 2010, Mrs. Una Tupou, a former Senior Education Officer for the Ministry of Education and former secretary for Tonga Soroban Education Association was presented a decoration, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan in recognition of her significant contribution to Soroban education in Tonga.
It is hoped that soroban education in the Kingdom of Tonga will further develop for many years to come. Japanese Embassy, 20/10/10.