Tonga Moving Ahead

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29974, 8 November 1962, Page 2

Tonga Moving Ahead

The importance of education in Tong* and the recent upsurge of interest in women’s organisation* there were discussed by a former Director of Education for Tonga, Mr G. Kemp, in an address to the Christchurch branch of the Fan Pacific and South-east Asia Women’s Association. An educationist in Tonga from 1937 to 1961, during the last five years of which he was Director of Education, Mr Kemp is now a member of the primary school inspectorate In Canterbury. In this unique constitutional monarchy of 158 scattered small islands now living entirely within its own income, the early missionary influence was still retained and embodied in the national way of life, said Mr Kemp. Change, improvements, and development were not, however, discarded in modern Tonga. Education, begun as early a* 1828, had since 1927 been compulsory, something which had not yet been achieved in Samoa, or completely in Fiji. Today, 159 schools, of which 22 were postprimary, were in operation throughout the islands. Because of the growing interest of women's organisations under the patronage of Queen Salote, there were improvements in village welfare and hygiene. One of the greatest problem* in the educational field, in common with some other Pacific islands, was the reluctance of their young scholarship holders to return home after long years of schooling. In the case of Tonga, the long terms of New Zealand education scholarships had turned these young persons into real New Zealanders who often found re-adaptation to their homeland difficult and unrewarding. “If they could get more edu-

cation In Tonga and cap it off with a shorter course in New Zealand they would be better off,” said Mr Kemp. After answering questions, Mr Kemp was thanked by Mr W. R. Lascelles.