From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 1, May 2002.

On-line training has been introduced to the Short Term Training Program of the Prime Minister’s Office. The on-line training, in affiliation with the Illawarra Institute of New South Wales, Australia, was officially launched by the Prime Minister HRH Prince ‘Ulukālala Lavka Ata at the end of April at the Distance Education and Communication Center, Pahu.

Siale ‘Ataongo Puloka, who runs the Civil Service Training Centre, at Fasi, said that the new program, which includes the usage of the Internet service and six computers  at a cost of $109,000, was funded by AusAid.

Siale said that all government on line training program would now converge at the Distance Education and Communication Center, at Pahu. “So our on line training program and that of the Royal School of Science are all coming together at the Distance Education Center.”

Siale said that the Center has 20 computers, including their six new computers which participants will use for three hours a day, and the rest of the time the center may use them for other courses. “If the 20 computers can be utilised fully, 60 students a day could be using the online service for distant education,” he said.

The two short term courses that are currently being offered under the Prime Minister’s Office online training Program are a 12-week course on Network Administration, and a course on Wound Management. There are six participants in the Network Administration Course and five nurses in the Online Training in Wound Management Course.