Motufoua Secondary School
Motufoua Secondary School is boarding school for boys and girls on Vaitupu atoll.[1] [2] As Tuvalu consists of 9 atolls the students reside on Vaitupu during the school year and return to their home islands during the school vacations. Vaitupu received worldwide attention in March 2000, when a fire in a dormitory at the Motufoua school killed 18 girls and an adult supervisor. It was later discovered that the fire was caused by a student using a candle to read during the night.[3] [4] The School celebrated 100 years of education in 2005.[5] [6] In 2009 the student roll at Motufoua Secondary School was 550.[7]
Establishment of the school
The London Missionary Society (LMS) established a primary school at Motufoua on Vaitupu in 1905. The purpose was to prepare young men for entry into the LMS seminary in Samoa. This school evolved into the Motufoua Secondary School. The primary school called Elisefou (New Ellice) moved to Vaitupu in 1923 and closed in 1953 when the government primary school was established. The primary school on Vaiputu is called Tolise.[8]
The activities of the LMS were taken over by the Church of Tuvalu. From 1905 to 1963 Motufoua only admitted students from Church of Tuvalu schools. In 1963 the Church of Tuvalu and the government of Tualu began to co-operate in providing education and students were enrolled from government schools. In 1970 a secondary school for girls was opened at Motufoua.[9] From 1916 Tuvalu (then called the Ellice Islands) was part of the crown colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and was administered from the island of Tarawa (in Kiribati, then called the Gilbert Islands). In 1975 Tuvalu became independent and as a consequence the Tuvaluan students that attended school on Tarawa were transferred to Motufoua. From 1975 the Church of Tuvalu and the government jointly administered the School.[9] Eventually administration of Motufoua became the sole responsibility of the Department of Education of Tuvalu.
Motufoua as a government school
Motufoua Secondary School is now operated by the government of Tuvalu, while still retaining a connection with the Church of Tuvalu through the use of the Motufoua School Church and with a chaplain as a member of the staff of the School.[10] The students attend church services at the Motufoua School Church.[11]
The fire on 9th March 2000 was a traumatic event within the School and for Tuvalu and raised questions as to fire safety equipment and training and security practices in the dormitories at the School.[12] A memorial service was held the following year in memory of the eighteen School Girls and their Matron who tragically lost their lives.[13] Tuvaluan leaders as well as parents of the victims attended the memorial service. The Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau also commemorated the event.[14]
The pupil-teacher ratio for secondary education is 25:1 (2001/02).[15] Motufoua offers Forms 3‐6, with the students studying for the Fiji Junior Certificate (FJC) at Year 10, Tuvaluan Certificate at Year 11 and the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate at Year 12,[16] which is set by the Fiji-based exam board SPBEA.[17]
Sixth form students who pass their Pacific Secondary School Certificate (PSSC) go on to the Augmented Foundation Programme, funded by the government of Tuvalu.[18] This program is required for tertiary education programmes outside of Tuvalu and is available at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Extension Centre in Funafuti.
Education in the 21st Century
Motufoua Secondary School has a central role in the development of Tuvalu. The education strategy is described in the national strategy plan Te Kakeega II as being that “by 2015, guided by strong spiritual values enshrined in its motto....TUVALU MO TE ATUA.... we will have achieved a healthy, educated, peaceful and prosperous Tuvalu.”[19]
The school staff include Tuvaluan teachers and teachers from other countries. The vision for the School is that “Culture, faith and education are the foundation” with the education mission being “to provide an excellent, relevant and accessibly secondary education and training on the strong base of practical application of knowledge and skills. We have a special responsibility of maintaining Culture and tradition. We drive our strength from being the only Government Secondary School.”[20]
In 2011 the School offered a course in computer studies for the first time. In 2012 the School offered the Certificate IV in Information Technology through a franchise program from the Fiji National University.[21]
Atufenua Maui and educators from Japan have worked on the implementation of an e-learning pilot system for Motufoua Secondary School that applies the Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle).[22] The e-learning system is intended to benefit students at Motufoua Secondary School and to provide computer skills to students who will enter the tertiary level of education outside Tuvalu.[23]
Environmental sustainability
In 2010 what was described as the largest diesel-solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid electricity system in the South Pacific was installed at the School.[24] This hybrid electricity system results in the School being supplied by a solar system during the day and by a diesel generator at night. This hybrid system is part of government policy to increase the use of renewable energy sources. Prior to the installment of the system the School relied upon a diesel powered generator, which needed to be turned off during the night. The hybrid system systems saves thousands of dollars in diesel costs and provides the School with a 24-hour supply of energy, with up to 200 kW per day.[25]
Development of Motofoua Secondary School funded by Japan
Japan has assisted with the development of Motofoua Secondary School. In 1996 Japanese assistance to the School overcome the problems associated with shortage of facilities include building classrooms, dormitories, special classrooms, dining hall and kitchen. In 2011 Japan provided assistance through its Grant Aid scheme to build 12 new classrooms, dormitories for boys and girls, and a gymnasium. In addition, the existing buildings previously funded by Japan were also renovated.[26] The new facilities funded by Japan also include a multi-purpose hall, tennis, volleyball & basketball courts and procurement of library, medical, administration, kitchen and ICT equipment.[27]
References
- ↑ Motufoua Secondary School (Location). Abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Motufoua Secondary School. wikieducator.org, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Robert Keith-Reid: Schoolgirls die in horror blaze. The Independent (London), 10. März 2000, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ 19 Die In Tuvalu Dormitory Blaze. CBS news (US), 10. März 2000, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Monise Laafai: Motufoua School, 100th Anniversary, 1905-2005. Monise Laafai, Oktober 2005, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ 100 Tausaga Motufoua - 'Pepese Ia i le Pese'. Video on YouTube sung & performed by Fagogo Malipolipo, 14. Februar 2009, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ David Manuella, Tuvalu USP Campus Salanieta Bakalevu (Project Coordinator): Open Schooling as a Strategy for Second‐chance Education in the Pacific: A desk study report. Commonwealth of Learning (COL) / University of the South Pacific, Juni 2011, S. 96-100, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Opening of Tolise & Motufoua Athletics Championship 2011. Tuvalu Athletics Association (TAA), 2011, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ a b Eneke Sapoaga and others (Hugh Laracy (ed.): Tuvalu A History. University of the South Pacific/Government of Tuvalu, 1976, ch. 19 'Post-War Development'.
- ↑ Motufoua School Church: Religious Building near Saniuta. Abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Motufoua Secondary School students, gathering for their evening devotional. Video on YouTube, 1. März 2012, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Marica Seluka: Motufoua Fire Tragedy - The Story from Tuvalu. Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau Newsletter/Tuvalu Online, März 2000, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Jane Resture: Photographs taken by Clive Smith at the Motufoua Memorial Service 9th March 2001. März 2000, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Tuvalu to Issue Stamps for Motufoua Fire Victims. Tuvalu Online, 27. Februar 2001, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Paul Bacsich, Nikki Cortoos, Tom Levec: Researching Virtual Initiatives in Education (Tuvalu). Abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Basic Education (Tuvalu). UNESCO Bangkok, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate (PSSC). Secretariat of the Pacific Board for Educational Assessment, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ New disciplinary policy for Motufoua High School. tuvalu-news.tv, 27. Oktober 2006, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Te Kakeega II - National Strategies for Sustainable Development 2005-2015. Government of Tuvalu, 2005, abgerufen am 14. Oktober 2011.
- ↑ Mission Statement. Motufoua Secondary School, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Certificate IV in Information Technology. Motufoua Secondary School, 11. Oktober 2012, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Atufenua Maui: Motufoua e-learning. Abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Atufenua Maui, Tony Kwato’o, Ronald Vetter, Yoshifumi Chisaki, and Tsuyoshi Usagawa: Preliminary Use of an E-learning Pilot System for Secondary Educational Institutions in Tuvalu: The Initial Implementation. International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning, Vol. 2, No. 3,, Juni 2012 (ijeeee.org [PDF]).
- ↑ Motufoua Secondary School solar project - Battery buffered, grid parallel PV solar system. EcoGeneration, abgerufen am 18. Oktober 2011.
- ↑ Off-grid power supply for Motufoua Secondary School. SMA Solar Technology, 2011, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Speech by H. E. Yutaka Yoshizawa, Ambassador of Japan at Funafuti, Tuvalu on the Occasion of the Signing and Exchange of Notes for the Grant Aid Project for Improvement of Education Facilities at Motofoua Secondary School in Tuvalu. Embassy of Japan in the Republic of the Fiji Islands, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.
- ↑ Press Release No. : 32/ 2010: Embassy of Japan in the Republic of the Fiji Islands, Japan Provides Assistance to the Government of Tuvalu (the Project for Improvement of Education Facilities at Motufoua Secondary School. Embassy of Japan in the Republic of the Fiji Islands, 23. August 2011, abgerufen am 20. November 2012.