New classrooms for two Tupou High School campuses at Vaololoa and Tapunisiliva in Tatakamotonga were commissioned by Princess Pilolevu Tuita, on October 16.

The classrooms were damaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita, which hit Tonga in February 2018. 

Two classrooms, which can accommodate 75-90 students, were commissioned at Vaololoa. Including additional repairs to a two-storey classroom building, the total construction costs were $844,745 pa'anga.

Three classrooms and a storeroom was handed over at Tapunisiliva, constructed with $844,745 pa'anga.

The Australian High Commissioner HE Adrian Morrison at Vaololoa said, Australia was very pleased to support the Resilience Project.

“These new classrooms will be much more conducive for effective learning, and their constructions create and boost local economic activities, employment, and again it is particularly valuable as the world suffers the economic effects of COVID-19.”

These climate resilient classrooms meant that schools will be better prepared should another disaster occur and offer a safe haven for people to take shelter if required, he said.

He commended the Tongan Government for prioritising school reconstruction projects as part of its cyclone recovery efforts.

Tupou High School is operated by the Free Wesleyan Church.

Reconstruction 

Meanwhile, the constuction work is under the Pacific Resilience Program (PREP) led by MEIDECC and co-funded by the World Bank and the Australian Government.

The PREP project includes the repairing and reconstructing of school buildings damaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita.

There are 25 schools in total; building 33 new buildings and repairing 10; in total of more than 110 classrooms in Tongatapu, ‘Eua and Vava’u, costing around $28 million pa'anga.