It was one happy family again at Tonga High School campus yesterday, when the 49 teachers and staff who went on strike returned to work.

On the first full day back at school yesterday, only 722 students out of the roll of 1154 returned. Heti Veikune the Principal of Tonga High School said that 10 of her students had left for overseas and 422 had either left and entered church schools or would return to school next week.

Heti said that in her first meeting with all her teachers yesterday, there was an initial feeling of uneasiness but after each took turn to make speeches and openly expressed their differences and misunderstandings they all consciously agreed to forget the past and move on forward.

Heti said that out off a total of 70 staff and teachers, 21 had remained during the strike and kept the school running.

"I know it will take time for everything to be back to normal and I know it will not be the same as it was before the strike began but I am very hopeful that we are going to be better as the strike has made us reassess our values, our priorities and just who we are," she added.

Not expelled

Heti said that during the strike she was wrongly accused of expelling one of the prefects of the school, an accusation that she vehemently denied, because she had never expelled any students from the school.

Heti said that during the strike less than half of the student body attended school, and the teachers who did not go on strike taught some classes. She said that some retired teachers also helped and taught a few classes.

"It was not as effective as I wanted it to be because of the irregular number of students who attended school, but for those few that turned up everyday for their classes it was very effective," said Heti.

Heti said that the strike was a wake-up call for teachers and staff. She said that the strike had taught teachers the importance of good relationships with others.

"The strike happened for a reason and I think it has made everyone better equipment to deal with their differences now making us learn to understand and respect that it was a matter of personal choice based on one...’s own personal view and I respect that," said Heti.

"I agree there is a need to review the salary but what I did not agree with is the strike, there could have been other alternatives".

Heti said that she was happy that the school work for students was resuming back to its normal classroom time and starting next week they will be holding extra evening classes to prepare those at Forms 5, 6 and 7 levels.

She also confirmed that the final examination date for Form 1 ...–4 levels was delayed from October 28 by week and a half to give more students time to prepare.

But the Form 5 and 7 students on the other hand will still sit their exams on November 7 as well as Form 6 on November 8.

Every year Tonga High School holds the top spot for the majority passes in senior examinations in Tonga and last year it reported a 100 percent pass for Form 5 students, 79 percent pass for Form 6 and over 60 percent pass for Form 7 students.

"I am optimistic that we can catch up with our school work and still retain the high level of passes we had over the past few years, because I believe anything is possible if you have the will, and we have that will", she said.