As the founding Director of Ocean of Light International Schools I have been a close observer of Education in Tonga.
I don't wish to denigrate the work and effort of teachers of Government and Non Government Schools.
I did read with interest that Tonga High School shone brightly with the local examinations. They should shine even brighter because effectively they have the "Cream of the Crop" to work with. The Entrance Exam does its job well in streaming the students in Tonga.
I will point out here that in 2003 and 2004 students from Ocean of Light sat both TSC and SPBEA. The school had 100% passes in both exams.
At this stage the school moved to Cambridge International Exams because the local exams were not providing the challenges required for our students.
When we had those successes I felt the current leadership in the Ministry of Education regarded OOL as a threat. It should have regarded us as a challenge for them to do better. Quite possibly that attitude may well remain.
As OOL comes to its 30th Anniversary in February I hope it gets the recognition from the current government it deserves.
Faka'apa'apa atu
Alan Cains
