From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 16, no. 1, June 2001.

A computer studies program was first introduced to Tonga by the Tonga Defence Service during the early 1980s under a strategic plan to fight Tonga’s arch enemy, unemployment and an unskilled work force.

The TDS computer study program began in 1981 and a Computer Centre was established in 1986 at the TDS headquarters, offering introductory computer courses for public servants, helping to familiarise them with computer software and hardware.

The establishment of the Centre sparked off an interest in computers, and fired a notion that the availability of knowledge had become possible through computers and could help to raise the standard of living of Tongans.

By the early 1990s computer studies had been introduced to some secondary schools in Tonga, and newly established private institutes were offering certificate courses in computer studies.

During the last decade of the 20th century computer studies were introduced to every secondary school in Tonga, some beginning at Form 3 and others at Form 4. At this introductory state each school drew up their own computer studies program, while at Form 5 the program was set by the South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment and at Form 6 it was set from New Zealand.

Graduate

Siua Fonua is one of a few qualified computer teachers in Tonga, and the first student of Tupou High School to go on to New Zealand and earn a degree in Information Technology. He said that the computer studies curriculum for the Form 3 and 4 level at Tupou High focused more on the teaching of students to type properly. “Then at Form 5 we start doing basic stuff, explaining the components of computers and introducing software and how to use software, then at Form 6 we are consolidating what we introduced in Form 5.”

Most secondary schools are now following a computer curriculum that is stipulated by the Ministry of Education to prepare students for the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate examination, and it is designed from Fiji. At the Form 6 the curriculum for computer studies is still set from New Zealand.

Primary Schools

To date the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga Schools have the most extensive computer studies program in the country, starting from a Pilot Primary School level held at Queen Salote College, and running all the way through to Diploma Level at the Tupou Business and Education Centre established at Tupou High School.

Mele‘ana Puloka, who oversees the computer studies program for the Free Wesleyan Church schools, said that the Queen Salote College was the first church school to introduce a computer studies program at the Form 3 level in 1992. Since then computer studies had been introduced into Form 4, 5 and 6 in all FWC secondary schools, except Middle Schools.

Distance Education

The two big boosts for the development of computer studies toward the end of the last century have been the establishment in March 1998 of the Royal School of Science, and in 1999 the Tupou Business and Education Centre.

The RSS was established with the objective of making university education accessable to Tongans.  It enabled students to establish links with universities overseas offering a distance education and then for a small fee Tongans could study for their university degrees without leaving the country. The RSS also made their facility available for students to carry out their research utilising their Internet connection. The RSS had a dedicated line through Cable and Wireless plc, international service. The fact that browsing the Internet through the RSS computers was considerably cheaper than through ordinary telephone connections made RSS very popular among all ages. The RSS also expanded its network and established wireless connections with computer labs in other schools. This was a blessing for a number of schools, which would not have been able to access the Internet because of the high cost of Internet connections in Tonga.

While the RSS was focusing on establishing a connection for Tongan students with universities overseas, Tupou High School was busy establishing the Tupou Business and Education Centre.

Faye Yule, who is in charge of the Tupou High School computer study program, said that the Centre offers three new programs, including a two-year Business Program and a Diploma Course; and a one-year certificate program in business computing. “A student with a certificate can go on and do a diploma, then a third year in New Zealand for a degree.”

Business Program

Faye said that the Business Program was designed for people who were going into business, “to be able to use computers to assist them do their work, so in the first year they are basically taught word processing, and spread sheet, the basic office package.

“The two-year Diploma Program is equivalent to what is awarded in any New Zealand Polytechnic, and Tupou High School is in affiliation with the Porirua Polytechnic, Wellington, on this Diploma Program. If they can complete a two year diploma course with us they then can go and start on a two year degree course in New Zealand.”

Faye said that the success of their program depended largely on their ability to attract good students, and with good teachers and good computer labs then they should be able to produce top class graduates. Faye was hopeful that they would be able to expand their program to a degree level soon. Annually the Centre attracted about 30 new students, and so far is the most advanced computer study program offered in Tonga.

Faye said that she would like to see the Centre grow to offer a computer club for Primary School Children, “I also would like to run an office course for Tongan executives, because there is a feeling that they do not want to come to class with their junior staff. We should be able to get that going later this year.

“My call is that I want two more labs established before I leave. We need a stand alone lab, and two which are networking.”

Faye said that the program was moving along very slowly, “because we have not got the facilities and because we have not got enough viable groups to teach, and computer teachers are very hard to come by.” These kind of problems are common with most secondary schools and the only solution to their problem to date has been to bring in volunteer teachers, mainly American Peace Corps Volunteers, and from other volunteer organisations.