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

While finding Tongan computer teachers is a problem for most Tongan Secondary Schools offering a computer studies program, Queen Salote College had its prayers answered when Pulu ‘Anau turned up at the school in early 1999, looking for a job.

Pulu said that he thought about coming to Tonga to teach when a group of ex-students from Tonga College were fund-raising in the USA for a computer lab for ‘Atele. “My father is an ex-student of ‘Atele and I offered my services to come and teach computer at ‘Atele, but I never heard from them again. But being a member of the Wesleyan Church I thought would try the church.”

When Pulu arrived in Tonga in early 1999 and approached the Director of Education for the Free Wesleyan Church schools he was recruited straight away to teach at Queen Salote College where computer studies is taught Form 4 to 6.

Pulu said that instruction in English is the main problem for Tongan students but despite the language barrier there was a growing interest in computer studies. This year there are 60 students from Form 5 and 70 from Form 6. “The other problem is that there are no text books. We have to draw up our own.”

Pulu said that at Form 4 they teach typing, word processing and data base. “We teach the same thing in Form 5 with a bit more depth in Form 6 when they learn how to set up web pages.”

Pulu believed that computer studies should be made compulsory at school, but that students should not drop core subjects such as maths and science.

Pulu said that if he achieves a 10 per cent success rate, meaning the number of students who would go on and get a degree in computer studies or work in the information technology industry he would be very happy.

Pulu is not too sure how long he will be able to stay at Queen Salote College, “the thing is that at the moment I am enjoying teaching here, but it also means that I am enjoying being poor, which is alright, but if I have to get married and raise kids I will have to get another job.”