Three senior science students in Nuku'alofa have won prizes in a national competition that aims to encourage the study of science by students in Tonga.

Maketalena Male and Tatafu Tatila from Tonga High School and Lupi Tukia from the Queen Salote College won the top prizes in the 2009 National High School Science Competition conducted by the University of Canterbury/ EcoCARE Pacific Trust

The prizes included science resources and cash. Dissecting microscopes, compound, science books and dictionaries were donated by the Pacific Trust. Each winner also received $500 pa'anga, donated by the Nautilus Mineral Exploration.

Awards were presented to the three winners by the Minister of Education, Dr Viliami Palefau at a ceremony at the Tonga High Scool on November 26.

Winning projects

The three winning science projects were picked from over 30 science projects entered by high schools in Tongatapu and the Vava'u High School.

Tatafu's project included a response of millipedes to light intensity; Maketalena's project studied the speed of movement of slaters in different light intensity; and Lupi's project looked at the effect of light intensity.

EcoCARE Coordinator Mr Russel Taylor who was present at the award ceremony, said that since the inauguration competition last year he noticed an improvement in the quality of projects. "This year the winning projects were of very good quality despite the lack of science resources available to students in Tonga."

He said the competition is aimed at encouraging hence stimulating the study of science by students in Tonga.

Russel encouraged the three winners to apply for the College of Science Scholarship for a Tongan student to study at Canterbury University in 2010.

THS graduate 'Ema Puloka, the first recipient of the science scholarship that was awarded last year, is currently studying at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.