Performance for Tongan king

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 6

Performance for Tongan king

Playing the clarinet for royalty was something totally unexpected by Paula Jameson, of St Albans, who has just returned to Christchurch after a year as a Volunteer Service Abroad teacher in Tonga.

Miss Jameson was teaching basic science to forms one to four at a co-educational college on the island of Lifuka, when the Tongan King requested that the college form a band for the annual agricultural show on the island and the king’s annual visit.

A college band was formed, but despite constant practices did not look as if it would be ready to march and play on the day. Instead, an “outsiders” band, consisting of two doctors, Post Office workers and teachers was formed, with Miss Jameson, the only European and woman, occupying the post of clarinetist. “I was immediately accepted, which I was thrilled about.” At the band’s first performance, they were given the honour of leading the king, as he had requested their formation.

The college Miss Jameson taught at was run by the Wesleyan Church — the official Tongan church. “Ninetenths of the schools in Tonga are run by churches — Wesleyan, Roman Catholic and Mormon, and the remaining tenth by the Government.” She described the standard of education as “improving,” with help from American Peace Corps workers and volunteers from Australia and New Zealand. “Their education system works on the School Certificate and University Entrance system, the same as ours does. However, they must reach a certain standard in primary school and pass a certificate examination before they are allowed on to college. If they fail that exam, they stay at primary school until they are 15.” Most students, Miss Jameson said, reached college, although unemployment in urban centres was high and it was unlikely that many would get jobs. “Some of the more edu-

cated students speak of coming to New Zealand or Australia to find work but they always talk about going back to Tonga. They don’t intend to make their homes here.”

Living conditions in Tonga were sometimes overcrowded, but there were no slums, even in the urban areas, said Miss Jameson. “Sometimes the Tongan huts would be thatched with palm leaves and crude-look-

ing by our standards, but you would never see the huts dirty. They were always swept out and the roofs rethatched if they needed it.” Fresh meat was hard to come by in the islands and the people had to rely on salted or the occasional piece of frozen meat for their food. Fresh meat such as chicken, pork and horse was generally only served at a feast. Tourism made up a large

proportion of the country’s income, although on Lifuka Island Miss Jameson saw no Europeans except volunteer workers. Tourists visited the mainland of Tongatapu.

Now that she is back in Christchurch, Miss Jameson hopes to do a science degree at university this year and teach in secondary schools. Before she left, she was a seventh form pupil at Avonside Girls’ High School.