What do you think if it’s often happened that school classes are cancelled according to a king ??
Do you think mathematic is really needed to live ?
Now, what should we educate to children ??

Tonga is Kingdom of Tonga.
They have many chances to learn to respect our king at school. It could be one of education.

School children make a line and wait the king to express their respects for him when he move to anywhere on not only one special day. Their classes will be stop every time. Even it’s a bit time , they wait before many hours .Maybe one reason is changeable schedule …

It’s suddenly happens. So, Japanese luggage teachers worry about it. Because they don’t know when their class will be cancelled before ,so it’s difficult to control them program or make it.

For example, a holiday came on17th on September.
A Tongan president , Taniela A. Langi was passed away and school children wait on a main load for his coming buck from New Zealand.
( I’m going to report about funeral one day！Maybe how to bury　is interesting topic because very different in each countries .)

For Japanese or other countries people , is this ceremony not understandable ?? , However , Tongan children or even adults may not make a sense to it… As our childhood, we just do Kanji lesson or learn my tables without any idea.

The education might always have those forth parts, That is why we seek ”high quality education”, but quality is just a part really relating with country , I think.
It may say that action for their king is one of the most important in any classes in Tonga. How about Japan or other countries ??

Any way, in Tonga, adult people order everything to small kids like a king. For example, when they want to get something even if it is a seller phon in them hands area, they call their kids to get it. It’s normal .
If the place will change, no change what younger people follow to elder’s order.

Students go to buy something for their teacher in a school, younger workers wash cups elders used yesterday in the morning in a work place , it’s normal.

Do you think it’s wrong ? Is it not understandable that teachers order to go with their wants to students ? Do you feel you are not a servant if you wash a cup your boss used ??

Maybe little by little it is changing in Tonga like Japan ,too. We also passed those years and years , and then we have an opinion as children should treat carefully or sexual equality , ,,,like that . Now, I really can’t judge those change is good or not good for Tonga.

Children are always ordered something (not like be taught )from parents , but at the same time they are learning how to bed their younger brothers and sisters , how to plants vegetables and crops or how to crash coconuts with a big bush knife,,,,, they are absorbing what they need to survive in this country with orders and growing up strongly. It is like a learning my tables way. At that time, I just followed the order from teacher and parents but I’m using it a lot now.

Just only, it’s different what is important or need in Japan and Tonga.

They study math , also multiplication, rather 「abacus 」here in Japan friendly island , Tonga.
According to one characteristic shearing culture ( they call it ‘vahevahe’) , They make a rough estimate.I never feel mathematical thinking from them.

Especially foods, if they buy something, they share everything with people they are same space.
They come to work with not a lunch for oneself , with bunches of bananas for everyone.Of course not everyone bring something every day, they will not be satisfied ,but maybe it is not for full-up stomach.
They exchange them plates in every Sundays and they are always calling ‘ Did you ate already ?? Come and eat here !’ to somebody passing in front of them house. They don’t have any feeling like “loss and gain”.

This is Tongan life style.

Is math need ??
If they always calculate small things with mathematics way, they might be panic. I surely don’t want to say ‘ No need to learn math , go your bush! It’s better!’ There is this Tonga because they learn mathematic at a school.

Let’s look forward for children.
we cannot finish learning something Start from train, education, study,,, What do we want to teach to children ?? What do we need to survive in own country?? What we are asked to live in globalised society ??

I still ask to get some ripped bananas to neighbour children because I can’t use a big bush knife.
Precisely, I can’t walk on road with small stores wearing a sandal while everyone walk in bare feet.

Author ; Miki Kato