The Coming of Age in Tuvalu

The Coming of Age in Tuvalu

We have now attended several local functions on Nanumea and there are always lots of kids around – here are kids outside the local dancing competition:

But there are no kids of high school age.  It is currently term time, and all the high school kids are at the boarding school on Vaitupu – as are the Tuvaluan kids from all of the nine islands – approximately 600 in all.  The school has been there for over a 100 years, initially established by the London Missionary Society, but, since independence, about 40 years ago, this has been run as a boarding school for both boys and girls, as the Motufoua Secondary School:

So there is a well-established culture of high school kids living away from home, and therefore, I assume, with parents having very little involvement in the education of their children.  This seems to be a very significant feature of Tuvaluan society, and I suspect has major ramifications far beyond the dearth of job opportunities for Tuvaluan kids.

There are several interesting side effects to this story.  Firstly the removal of kids from any parental control, just as they are reaching puberty.  My understanding is that the kids are together during class time, but the sexes are kept apart at all other times, including meal times.  At the beginning and end of term, two ferries are required to transport the kids back to their home islands – a boys ferry and a girls ferry.

There was a very tragic outcome in March 2000, when 18 girls and one matron were killed in a dormitory fire.  To maintain separation of the sexes, it had become routine to lock the girls in their dormitory at night.  My understanding is that, since then, high fences, better lighting, and more security guards are used to try and maintain separation of the sexes.

It was concluded that the fire had been started from a candle, used to provide a light for reading.  This resulted in the school being prioritised for a 24 hour electricity service provided by a solar/ battery installation.  This 46kW installation was funded by the Italian government and was completed in 2010.  It is unclear what is the current operational state of this system, and there is no provision for integrating this system into the 400kW solar/ battery system currently being installed on Vaitupu by the New Zealand government funding.

Japan has assisted greatly with the development of Motufoua Secondary School. In 1996 Japanese funding provided classrooms, dormitories, special classrooms, dining hall and kitchen. In 2011 Japan funded 12 new classrooms, dormitories for boys and girls, a gymnasium. a multi-purpose hall, tennis, volleyball & basketball courts and procurement of library, medical, administration, kitchen and computer equipment.  This seems excellent use of overseas aid, but it is interesting to note that Tuvalu votes with Japan on whaling.

Rain showers can be very heavy at times, and the kids use such opportunities to play and wash hair: