27th July 2016 The District Soroban Competition co-hosted annually by Embassy of Japan in the Kingdom of Tonga and the Ministry of Education and Training was held for Ha‘apai soroban students on Thursday, 21 July 2016 at the Ha‘apai High School Hall.
A total of 216 soroban students from Class 3 to Class 5 competed with each other in the written examination, oral examination, and flash examination, from six Government Primary Schools who participated in the competition this year.
Fotua Government Primary School ranked first in the overall competition, Faleloa Government Primary School came second and Pangai Government Primary School came third. The top three students in the written examination from Classes 3 and 4 are to represent Ha’apai Primary Schools in the National Soroban Competition in Nuku‘alofa, next year in March. (refer to the attachment for the result of the soroban competition in Ha’apai).
Soroban education was introduced in the 1970’s in the Kingdom, and has served as one of the foundations of long-standing and strong ties between Japan and Tonga. The Ministry of Education and Training has proven that soroban contributes to strengthen the mathematical skills of primary students, and has incorporated soroban education as a compulsory element of the mathematics subjects from Class 3 to Class 5 for all Government Primary Schools.
Embassy of Japan in Nuku’alofa and the Ministry of Education and Training co-hosted the Soroban Competition since 2010 starting with district competitions in the outer islands prior to the National Competition in Nuku‘alofa. This year’s Competition started from Ha’apai, before Vava’u in August 4, and later for Tongatapu on the 16, 18 and 25 of August. The competition for ‘Eua Island will be in September 8th 2016, before the National Competition in March 2017 joined by a group of young soroban students visiting from Japan.
The Soroban Competitions are supported by the Tonga Soroban Education Association, JICA Tonga Office, and Japan International Soroban Diffusion Foundation.
Tonga Soroban Competition in Ha’apai
- Participating Schools:
GPS Fakakai, GPS Faleloa, GPS Fotua, GPS Koulo, GPS Pangai and GPS Tongoleleka
- Total # of Participants – 216
Class 3 – 77 students
Class 4- 58 students
Class 5 – 71 students
- Result:
Class 3
| Written | Oral | Flash | ||||
| 1 | Seionala Launoa | Fotua | Francis ‘Ungo‘unga | Tongoleleka | Francis ‘Ungo‘unga | Tongoleleka |
| 2 | ‘Eseta Akoteu | Fotua | Seionala Launoa | Fotua | Hingano Finau | Tongoleleka |
| 3 | Hingano Finau | Tongoleleka | ‘Ofamo‘oni Pule | Tongoleleka | Mele Lafo’ou | Faleloa |
Class 4
| Written | Oral | Flash | ||||
| 1 | Taiana Palu | Faleloa | Kulaea Fainga’anuku | Pangai | Taiana Palu | Faleloa |
| 2 | ‘Atalina Tano‘a | Pangai | ‘Atalina Tano‘a | Pangai | ‘Atalina Tano‘a | Pangai |
| 3 | Tupouneiafu Leone | Tongaleleka | Lisiate Tutanekai | Fotua | ‘Ana Sauaki | Pangai |
Class 5
| Written | Oral | Flash | ||||
| 1 | Vaha‘i Palu | Pangai | Kesaia Muli | Fotua | Vaha‘i Palu | Pangai |
| 2 | Mele Folau | Faleloa | Vaha‘i Palu | Pangai | Mele Folau | Faleloa |
| 3 | Tupou Launoa | Fotua | Mele Folau | Faleloa | Malia Loni | Pangai |
Teacher
| 1 | Saitoni Po‘uha | Fotua |
| 2 | Latu Fili | Pangai |
| 3 | Filisi ‘Utu’one Mafi | Faleloa |
School
| 1 | GPS Fotua |
| 2 | GPS Faleloa |
| 3 | GPS Pangai |
END
Issued by the: Embassy of Japan, Tonga