A new playground for Beulah Adventist Primary School was opened today in Vaini. Funded with donations and voluntary efffort, recycled materials were used to create a beautiful playground for learning.

The project was valued at around $70,000 pa’anga, including $600 cash donations of and $64,000 in kind donations including labour.

Dr Elisapesi Manson, chair of the project committee said that a total of 20 different forms of play stations were installed in the playground utilising old tyres and other local materials such as sands, bamboos and woods.

CEO for the Ministry of Education, Dr Tangikina Steen commended the Seventh Day Adventist Education System on Early Childhood Care and Primary Education for demonstrating the importance of ‘play’ in contributing to the development of children in this significant stage of their education.

“In fact, there is a new ECE Curriculum that the Ministry and UNICEF are co-developing titled: Learning Through Play: The Heilala Way. Play is children’s work and play is essential for a child’s language, cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual and physical development,” she said.

Dr Steen said she had no doubt that the playground would be used as an exemplar playground for many schools.”

The project’s working committee included Dr Elisapesi Manson, Chair/ Education Consultant; Melefatai Fukofuka, Principal; Anitema Tonga, PTA President, Pr Sione Naulala Chair of the School Board; and Mataele Fatai, School Board Member.,

The primary school is owned and operated by the Tonga Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Dr Manson said that the playground helped to devlop the Adventist education model integrating the nature of spiritual, mental, physical and social development.

“It is widely accepted that playground is a powerful learning tool for children. Playgrounds provide the opportunity for children to practice skills that will ultimately play a role in adult competencies such as the  ability to collaborate with others, develop decision making skills, and successfully take on leadership roles, persevere in the face of distractions, and generate creative ideas,” she said.