By Tupou Vaipulu Jr.

When Tupouto’a College on Nomuka Island, Ha’apai, named their 2024 Dux, Kuinita Halafatai Faitangane (17) last week, she graduated in the local church with an armful of trophies.

Kuinita was top of her class and the best in all her subjects: English, Math, Science, Tongan, Biblical Studies, Agriculture and Computer Studies, at the Free Wesleyan Church school. At the prize giving on 27 November, Kuinita was also awarded the Maamaloa prize for best-all-round student for good behaviour, both inside and outside the classroom.

Academic studies are a challenge at her college, which was devastated by the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai tsunami in January 2022, and has yet to be rebuilt. Classes for the last three years have been held in fraying tents - when the weather permits.

The school’s library was destroyed by the tsunami, which swept away most of the school's property.

The Principal, Tu’ipulotu Samiu, told Matangi Tonga yesterday, that they collected broken pieces of plywood and repurposed them to make tables for the students, who resumed their studies in tents.

Nothing much has changed for the past three years.

Samiu said that most days, classes are either cancelled or relocated outside, usually under a tree, due to extreme heat from the sun burning through the thin sheets of the tents.

“It’s cool in the mornings but the sun usually starts to get hot from the afternoon until the end of the school day,” he said, “so we have to move our classes outside or wherever we can find cool-shade, usually under a tree.”

During rainy days, school is cancelled because of multiple leaks in the rotting tents.

The student roll dropped from 36 in 2021 to 21 students by the end of 2024.

Samiu said that a most of those who had left the school were the junior Form 1 and Form 2 students.

Rebuilding

There are plans of rebuilding the school and moving it inland, further away from the ocean. Samiu said that in November 2023 the school had discussed plans for reconstruction with various government ministries, for a rebuilding project using funds that will be provided by the World Bank.

“The plan is to build three classrooms, a toilet and two houses for contract teachers.”

The college is ready and a new piece of land is ready, "we’re just waiting on the government now,” he said.

The construction of the new school will be funded by the World Bank under the Tonga Safe and Resilience Schools Project (TSRSP).

Yesterday, the Project Manager for TSRSP, William Fonua, confirmed to Matangi Tonga that Tupouto'a College is in the World Bank Project for rebuilding.

"This is planned to commence next year and the target is that their next graduation will be in their new facilities," he said.