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The struggle among Tongan leaders to find appropriate solutions

By
Kaniva Pacific
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by Sioeli Mataitini Fotu

The struggle among Tongan leaders to find appropriate solutions to the current relation between the students of Tupou and Tonga Colleges

It is with sadness to read on Tongan newspapers, Online news and regularly heard the news bulletins on radios and TVs as to the latest problems in the historical relationship between Tupou and Tonga Colleges in Tonga.  The latest problem was the pre-mediated assaulting of Tonga College’s boys by a busload of boys from Tupou College at a Tofoa home.  Not only there were over 100 students from Toloa but the damages they made, according to Tonga Commissioner of Police, Mr Fee, have included every breakable item in that household and private property. 

This has been bad news to every Tongans living overseas and it also portraying Tonga as a violent country. The country is trying to portray a good image overseas following the recent death of a policeman from New Zealand with Tongan origin at the hands of at least five local Tongan policemen. In the same vein Tonga College is not blameless having regard to the recent episode where a prefect was shown in full view for all the world to see the beating with all his strength a group of innocent boys.   

Individual Viewpoints

I am also aware of the view expressed by the Secretary-General of the Conference of the Siasi Tautaina ‘o Tonga ‘I Tonga (SUTT), Dr Tevita Havea, in that he recommended the closure of both existing colleges and then merge them into one school. With respect to Dr Havea, I am aware of the historical significance of the two colleges to all Tongans and for that reason alone I do not share Dr

Sioeli Mataitini Fotu
Havea’s view. Tupou College was founded by Tupou I. His Majesty then specially requested the President and members of the Methodist Conference in New South Wales to allow the most eminent Rev. Dr Egan Moulton to be the first Principal of Tupou College in 1866. Dr Moulton was then the founding Principal of the Methodist’s Newington College in Sydney. The main aim of establishing Tupou College was to ensure that Tongan youths have a good education and also assisted in the spreading of the gospels around the Pacific neighbours and the world. On the other hand, the same King, Tupou I, and his Prime Minister and adviser, Rev. Shirley Baker, established Tonga College in 1882 as an attempt to ensure that Government sector of the Kingdom has a steady flow of workers. As an observer from overseas (ie New Zealand), I am proud of both Colleges with their history and their respective graduates who have contributed to the economy and the wealth of Tonga over the years.  It is also important to have strong support from the ex-students of both Colleges who formed Associations in various overseas countries and these Associations have contributed moneys (and sometime goods and services) for the betterment of both Tupou College and Tonga College in Tonga respectively.

There are those who prefer the law to take its course.  Rev. Siupeli Taliai, a former Principal of Tupou College, is said to prefer that approach. I respect him on that stand as the rivalry between the two established Colleges did resulted in some clashes during his tenure as the Principal of Tupou College. However, Rev. Siupeli Taliai did let the law take its course with some of those outlandish students from the respective Colleges moulded their behavior accordingly. There is nothing wrong with rivalry and clean competitions. Competitions in the sport fields or in the class rooms usually bring out the best in every student. This is quite healthy in a democracy like Tonga. With a bit of personal restraint, through tolerance and proper counseling, the students of both Colleges would realize their full potentials. That is what Tonga’s leaders wanted to see.

Proposed Actions to be Taken by the Government

Supposing the Government closes both Colleges and then starts a new College. This will be a bad decision as it destroyed a rich history tied to both Tupou and Tonga Colleges and the Kingdom as a whole. The strong supporters of both Colleges through the assistance and contributions by their former students will be sorely missed as there will be an instant stop to that regular flow of assistances and contributions. The new College, if establishes at all, will take years to establish itself and the creation of the networks of its graduates locally and internationally.  This option is not a favourable one among both Colleges’ supporters both at home and overseas. 

I argue also for the enforcement of the law to mould the behavior of these students. Those who have broken the law of the land should be punished according to the law of the land. The Constitution Act 1875 gives every the freedom or individual rights to everyone. The right to choose by parents where to send your children to study is also protected. Once the parents chose a school for their child then the State should protect that choice by enforcing the law to the full. The authority should investigate those accomplices that assisted with the planning of the attack should be dismissed from their jobs. The message should be clear and loud that the law of the land must prevail. 

There are those who put forward an idea of forming a group who may ‘spy’ on those that will likely to start a fight between the students of these opposing Colleges. I think that this idea is against the law violating those individual rights that the Constitution is trying to protect. Once this idea is allowed then the State may interfere in the daily lives of all Tongans.

I have an idea and that is not new. How about the idea of having a Chaplain appointed by the respective Board of Trustees to both Colleges?  I am referring here to those tutors that started Tonga College. They were anointed Ministers of the Church (ie Rev. Pauliasi Taumoepeau). My suggestion is that that a Tonga College graduated Minister (who has been schooled at Sia’atoutai also) must be appointed to Tupou College. Similarly, a Tupou College graduated Minister must be appointed as Chaplain to Tonga College. The students and members of the staff of both Colleges should consult these Chaplains during the time of personal crisis.

We have witnessed the value of these Chaplains in colleges and secondary schools here in New Zealand. They are invaluable.

Hope

If we keep on the dialogue about the future of these two established Colleges we may arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.

My idea of appointing Chaplains to the two Colleges and the manner in which that they are selected is perhaps of lesser evil than a panel of selected people who will become ‘spies’ for the police, I guess.

Competition in the sporting fields and the classrooms do bring out the best from the students of both Colleges. It is a question of training oneself to keep ones composure even during adversity. It will then be a time that a student from either of the two established Colleges can be said to be educated and to have experienced God.

Sioeli TuitaMataitini Fotu
Barrister and Solicitor
Former Student and Head Prefect of Tonga College
President of the Tonga College Old Boys in Aotearoa for 18 years and continuing.

Tupou College students to appear in court on October 7

By
Kalino Latu
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LAST UPDATED: 9:00PM – The 147 students from Tupou College who have been detained for attacking a house in Tofoa on Thursday 18 will re-appear before the Nuku'alofa Magistrate court on October 7 – 10 after they appeared today before Magistrate Salesi Mafi.

Former Tonga College student Taniela Halahuni,22, is in a critical condition in Vailola hospital. Fellow student Taniela Mahe, 15, is in a stable condition.

A new charge of unlawful assembly has also been laid today against the accused. Police have charged 124 students with wilful damage and trespassing. They have been released on bail last week to appear today Monday 29 before the magistrate court.

A total of 22 Tupou College students who were still in police custody today released on bail. They faces charges ranging from trespassing and housebreaking to causing grievous bodily harm. One student has been charged with attempted arson. A teacher and two bus drivers have been charged with “aiding criminal damage".

Tupou College and Tonga College problems require re-culturation

By
Kalino Latu
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A change of heart and restoring respect for authority and culture are the only solutions to curing the endemic violence between Tupou College and Tonga College, the president of Tonga Secondary Schools Principal Association said this week.

Fr Aisake Vaisima‘s comments came after an attack on a house in Tofoa by more than 100 students from Tupou college on July 18.

Former Tonga College student Taniela Halahuni,22, is in a critical condition in Vailola hospital. Fellow student Taniela Mahe, 15, is in a stable condition.

A total of 22 Tupou College students are still in police custody. They faces charges ranging from trespassing and housebreaking to causing grievous bodily harm. One student has been charged with attempted arson. A teacher has been charged with “aiding criminal damage.”

Police have charged 124 students with wilful damage and trespassing. They have been released on bail to appear before magistrate court on Monday, July 29.

As a result of the incident the Tongatapu Secondary School Rugby Tournament was postponed. It was confirmed last Friday that it would  be held starting on July 29. About 13 schools take part in the  intercollegiate rugby competition in six grades.

Many people have called for the two schools to be either temporally discontinued or shut permanently.

However, Fr Vaisima, an educational psychologist, said this was not the solution.

“I don’t see deregistration of the two schools nor termination of boarding schools as a solution to this,” he said.

“The problem will still come up in various forms and in various ways since the schools have already a century of history behind them.

“The pathway towards a long-term solution must involve a process of re-culturing of the schools. It has to begin from within the schools and actively supported by school authorities and others other schools and agencies.

“A change of heart is essential in order for this process to start moving.”

Fr Vaisima said improvement had to include restoring a culture of respect for authority in the schools, including the respect between prefects and younger students and among those who were first to enter school and those who came later – Kolisi mu’a and Kolisi mui.”

“These are just examples among others that I believe should include in this re-culturation of the school ethos which will assist in providing a long-term solution to continuing violence among schools in Tonga.”

Fr Vaisima said he feared the effect of calls to halt sporting contacts between the schools as a way to end the crisis.

A former coach of ‘Apifo’ou College’s 1st XV rugby team, he believes that sport is fundamental to students’ education.

“I am taking here for granted that the importance of sports to the human development of our youths is not questioned,” he said.

“The issue at stake here is to eliminate the violence between a small percentage of the schools that have become more common during intercollegiate rugby season, rather than the elimination of the competition.

“The abolition of the competition is the easy way out as far as I am concerned, and it reflects a common cultural pattern of conflict resolutions, whether it is in a family situation, community or school i.e. throwing the dirty water out together with the baby!

(“Ta’ofi pea Tuku ‘Aupito” irrespective of all the good things contained within).

Fr Vaisima said 78% of the schools competing in the rugby tournament would be disadvantaged if it was shut down.

“The only way forward is for the schools concerned to go back to the drawing board and realigned their history, their shared beliefs and practices with the common good of all that befits a Christian and an educated island nation,” he said.

“We cannot conquer the force of evil (violence) by withdrawal, but by doing the good. At the same time school authorities in Tonga will continue its search into how best to conduct an intercollegiate rugby competition that will minimize violence between schools and maximize the potential and talents of our youths.”

One Tongan fisherman 'presumed lost' two survive

By
Kalino Latu
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A Tongan family is struggling to deal with the loss of a husband after he went missing at sea last week.

Selemaia Nonu 28 of Pātangata was alleged to have been lost at sea while fishing with two other fishermen, Ta’anga Kata and Kaliopasi Lasalo on Thursday 18.

His father Kinikini Nonu told Kaniva News the disaster had allegedly been due to a mechanical failure. He said they were told the dinghy’s engine failed to operate. Selemaia jumped into the water trying to tie the ship into a nearby buoy but could not be able to return to the dinghy.  

The sea area between Tongatapu Island and 'Eua is known for its dangerous currents.

Kata and Lasalo managed to return ashore at Lavengatonga beach and raised the alarm with police.  

Nonu said searches by his families and friends scoured areas between Tongatapu and ‘Eua including the island of Kalau but could not be able to find him.  

Police reportedly sent an aircraft to the area but unable to locate Nonu.

His wife Malia Ma’u Nonu emotionally told Kaniva News  her husband was turning 28 today. She said their last contact by mobile phone he asked for the weather focus and sent his love to his children.

The wife said they have 3 kids. The eldest is 5 and the youngest is 1 year and 2 months old. She is pregnant expecting a fourth child.

Featured image by diveadventures.au.com

Tonga secondary school rugby finals continue no spectators allowed

By
Kalino Latu
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The members of the Tonga Secondary School Principals Association (TSSPA) last night have decided that finals for secondary schools rugby tournament 2013 continue with only “parents and guardians of students in the teams” allowed to attend.

Fr. ‘Aisake Vaisima, the president of the TSSPA said the decision, “was confirmed by the Ministry of Education and the Directors of Schools Systems”.
 

The grades 3 and 4  will be held on July 29. The grades 2 and 1stXV will be held on Thursday 1 August. Grades 1 and 5 defaulted by Tupou College. They offered the win to Tonga Side School grade1 and grade 5 for  Apifoou.

Tongan-owned company ready to bring down fuel prices

By
Kalino Latu
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Press Release

J & M Pacific Pty Limited, an Australian based resource company with significant affiliations with United Arab Emirates and South East Asia, is currently in negotiations for the supply of diesel to suit Pacific nations.

J & M Pacific are closely affiliated with SSY Shipping (one of the world’s largest Shipping Brokers) in an endeavour to obtain the most competitive freight prices into Tonga, Suva and other ports, subject to quantities and port logistics. Therefore, they are confident in offering a compliant specification of diesel at attractive discounts with highly competitive pricing for freight.

We have been in encouraging discussions with various Pacific nations, and have even received a letter of intent from the Tongan Government. Director of J & M Pacific, Mr James Koloamatangi says, “The main problem that we are all addressing is a perceived monopoly on current oil/diesel prices. This is borne out in the ever-increasing oil prices that have to be paid for by the consumers at the pump”.

We are also able to offer other products through our affiliates. However our focus is on diesel supply at this point in time.

On-going discussions with our partners who have distribution agreements with the likes of oil giant Petronas (government- owned Malaysian oil & gas Company) have progressed to contract stage.  J & M Pacific are looking to compete with the import quantities and prices from other oil companies currently supplying Tonga and neighbouring Pacific nations who are feeling the pinch of high fuel prices.

Mr Koloamatangi has met with some senior officials from the Tongan government and is extremely confident that a deal can be done, provided that the government is prepared to work with J & M Pacific to bring fuel prices down, and that other Pacific jurisdictions come on-board. “The bottom line is we can give the Tongan people a better, cheaper price than what they pay for fuel at the moment”, says Mr Koloamatangi.

Bus driver charged after Tofoa attack, media warned

By
Kalino Latu
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Some of the 147 accused students of Tupou College charged with "one count of conspiracy to commit willful damage to a building" after the attack of students at Tofoa on Thursday 18 have received more charges.

Twenty-two of the Tupou College accused and still detained by police received more charges on trespassing, housebreaking and causing grievous bodily harm.

A bus driver has been charged with “aiding criminal damage” and one student charged with “attempted arson” both are in police custody.

Police said a second group of 51 students have been released on bail  this afternoon charged with count of conspiracy to commit willful damage to a building and trespassing.

A group of 75 Tupou College students were bailed out on July 22 charged with wilful damage to a building. All accused released will appear at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court on Monday, July 29.

Police commissioner O’Fee said more charges are likely to be laid next week.

At the same Assistant Police Commissioner ‘Unga Fa’aoa said “We are aware that there are lots of Media's discussions on the issue of school violence practically on the incident happened on Thursday night 18 July 2013 at Tofoa”.

He asked the “public to be patience and wait for the outcome of the investigation and the court hearing”.

Fa’aoa’s statements came after a local radio station conducted a talk-back show on  the violent school rivalry between schools.

Tonga Principals meet divided over Secondary School Rugby Final

By
Kalino Latu
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The Tonga Secondary School Principal Association has to return for another meeting tomorrow after it failed to break the deadlock over  the secondary school rugby tournament finals today.

Fr ‘Aisake Vaisima, president of TASSAP said some of the members moved to be cancelled while others argued in favour of a final.

Principals have been asked to take the issue and discuss it with their various schools before tomorrow’s meeting, he said.

Secondary School rugby tournament finals were postponed last week following an attack by Tupou College students against Tonga College students and an ex-student on Thursday 18.

Vaisima said other issues would be disscussed tomorrow.

Tonga College 1st  XV will face Liahona High School  1st XV in the senior rugby tournament final.  

Principals urgent meeting reveals lack of action on commission's recommendations

By
Kalino Latu
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The Tonga Secondary Schools Principals Association (TSSPA) meeting today had only one agenda – to urgently look at a report they received in 2008 after a taskforce was commissioned to investigate and submit recommendations on how to eliminate violence among secondary schools.  

The meeting was called after an attack in a home at the village of Koloua, Tofoa on Thursday 18 by Tupou College students where a Tonga College student , Taniela Mahe 15 was just recovered this week  in hospital and an ex-student Taniela Halahuni 21 is  in a coma.

The president of TSSPA, Fr ‘Aisake Vaisima told Kaniva News school fights in Tonga are now an inter-secondary schools issue.

“Too long it has been left to the respective schools to solve their problems. Now it is everybody’s problem and we (other schools) must work together to find appropriate solutions,” Fr Vaisima said.

Fr. Vaisima, the Principal of Apifo’ou College believed TSSPA has not done enough to address the report recommendations made available since the last 5 years.

"The findings point to the fact that more work needs to be done to follow up. This has not been diligently followed after the report.” he said.

“ As an Association we will make time to extend this work further. The nature of the violence is basically “crowd” (groups)  sourced in its historical background and its occurrences in the past up to the present. A solution must therefore be of the same nature,” he told Kaniva News.

The taskforce and its report were a joint effort by the Ministry of Education, TSSPA, Police and the then Ministry of Youth and Employment.

It recommended in its 2008 report “that the Minister of Education, Women’s Affairs and Culture looks into commission further investigation into the problems and the social, psychological, academic and economic factors that influence students and those who support them and to come forth with the appropriate mechanisms for providing the appropriate assistance and support".

Parts of its recommendations said “the education systems should put in place a system for restricting the use of mobile phones and radio within the school compound with the assistance of the Tonga Secondary School Principal Association.”

Kaniva News understands that since 2008 fights between secondary schools persisted not only between Tupou College and Tonga College  but also  Liahona High School.

In a Radio Tonga report on March 2012 it said  “since  the start of the new academic year, boys from 3 schools – Tonga College, Tupou College and Liahona High School – have been fighting each other every Friday afternoon. One reason behind the fights is sports rivalry  – and text messages seem to encourage it,” the report said.

In October 2012 fights continued among schools students.  The Assistant Commissioner of Police , Soakai Motu’a Puaka told Radio ABC “the problems has been they start through the telephone, call through text and all that. They text each other, they text each other's numbers and chase things there, talking about a girlfriend or a boyfriend, things like that. And sometimes they radio a program, talk back program radio. The kids call the radio and sometimes the radio is not careful enough, spark all these problems and also the competitions, like sports, rugby and so forth,” 

Other recommendations by the taskforce in its report  included suggestion made for a commission "to be undertaken by a competent official who will report to the Minister. It called for police to continue investigation into communities where there are likelihoods of activities that would indoctrinate students into substance abuse and violence"

Police have to investigate “students who are offenders and ensuring that they are prosecuted and brought into Court for punishment that information on offenders are kept in a database for future use …a separate investigation be made on students who are neglected by their parents and bring them into counseling,” it said.

Police investigation was also recommended for "students who are offenders and   ensuring that they are prosecuted and brought into Court for punishment that information on offenders are kept in a database for future use…a separate investigation be made on students who are neglected by their parents and bring them into counseling"

The recent attack by Tupou College students against the Tonga College students and an ex-student was apparently been well organized, foreseen by some in the communities and it was aided by a Tupou College male teacher who was arrested and charged by police in relation to the attack.

Tupou College teacher charged in relation to Tofoa attack

By
Kalino Latu
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LAST UPDATED 11pm 23/07: A Tupou College male teacher 43 has been charged for "aiding criminal damage" after the attack of Tonga College students and an ex-student in a home at Tofoa on Thurstday 18, Police Statement says.

All 147 Tupou College students taken into custody by Police following the attack were charged with one count of conspiring to commit wilful damage.

Out of the 147 students detained 75 have been reportedly released on bail after they appeared before the  magistrate court on Monday 22.

They will reappear on  July 29 at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate Court.

Tonga College student Taniela Mahe 15 and Taniela Halahuni 21 a Tonga College ex-student are still in hospital as a result of the attack.

Halahuni is still in critical condition.

Police did not release further details regarding the Tupou College teacher's charge and arrest.

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