Viliami Tu’ipulotu a Class 5 student from Ngele’ia Government Primary School in Tongatapu was awarded a trip to Japan after winning the written category of Tonga’s National Soroban Competition on March 12.

He will participate in the Annual Soroban Camp in Oze, Gunma Prefecture in Japan from August 17-20 this year.

The Prime Minister Hon ‘Akilisi Pohiva presented the prizes that included a cup for the district winner of the competition for Soroban students from Vava'u. Other prizes were awarded to each of the winners of the three categories of written, oral and flash in both Class 4-5 levels.

The competitors were finalists who won the various district Soroban competitions held for government primary schools throughout Tongatapu, ‘Eua, Vava’u and Ha’apai last year.

The Japanese Ambassador HE Dr Kazuchika Hamuro said in modern Japan, Soroban is nationally reconsidered not only as a way to improve the mathematical skills of children and young people but to also foster their self confidence and memory retention. He thanked Tongan teachers, parents, the young students who are studying Soroban and the Ministry of Education for their support.

Soroban education has been one of the concrete and longstanding foundations between Japan and Tonga since 1970. It is now a compulsory element of the mathematics subject from Class 3-5- in all Government Primary Schools in Tonga.

Present at the event was Masao Fuji the Director General of the International Soroban Diffusion Foundation that funds the annual Soroban camp that the Tongan student will attend.

This is Tonga’s fifth National Soroban competition.