Free Wesleyan Church
Encyclopedia
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. The royal family of the country are prominent members, and the late king was a lay preacher.
It was founded as the Free Church of Tonga in 1885, when King George Tupou I decided that a sovereign nation, in the process of promoting its sovereignty abroad by means of bilateral treaties with Western nations, should have an independent (Wesleyan) Church.
Preachers in the FWC system must be ordained ministers, a process that takes between 3 and 5 years, and can involve many stages of approval and apprenticeship. However, ministers are not required to attend theological seminary, because often doing so in the past created a teacher shortage in the church schools while the candidates were attending seminary.
Schools
The Free Wesleyan Church (FWC) also runs 30% of the schools in Tonga, and are generally considered the best out of the church-run schools. Many parents choose to send their children to the FWC schools for moral education; to teach them obedience, hard work, good manners, and respect, which are all high values in Tonga. As in other schools, FWC schools usually do not have class on Fridays, but instead use the day for school cleanup; all school facilities in Tonga are maintained by the students. School uniforms are the church's colors: royal blue and white.Tongatapu
Primary Schools- Akoteu Nukualofa.
- Akoteu Nukunuku
- Akoteu Kolovai
- Akoteu Vaotuu
- Akoteu Utulau
- Maamaloa Bilingual Side School
| School | No. of Teachers(2011) | No. of Students (2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Akoteu Nuku'alofa | 13 | 305 |
| Akoteu Nukunuku | 6 | 94 |
| Akoteu Kolovai | 6 | 78 |
| Akoteu Vaotu'u | 4 | 69 |
| Akoteu 'Utulau | 6 | 102 |
| Maamaloa Bilingual Side School | 11 | 200 |
| TOTAL | 35 | 848 |
Secondary Schools
- Tupou CollegeTupou CollegeTupou College is a Methodist boys' secondary boarding school in Toloa on the island of Tongatapu, Tonga.It is located on the Eastern District of Tongatapu near the village of Malapo. The school is owned by the Free Weslyan Church of Tonga. Established in 1866 by James Egan Moulton, it claims to be...
Toloa - Queen Salote College
- Tupou High School- Vaololoa, Nukunuku and Tapunisiliva
- Moungaolive College- Kolonga
- FWC Middle Schools- Pea, Vaini, and Houma
| School | Teachers(2011) | Other staff(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tupou College Toloa | 45 | 33 | 857 |
| Queen Salote College | 72 | 9 | 1016 |
| Tupou High School Vaololoa Branch | 50 | 7 | 645 |
| Tupou High School Nukunuku Branch | 9 | 2 | 107 |
| Tupou High School Tapunisiliva Branch | 11 | 2 | 76 |
| Mo'unga'olive College | 9 | 3 | 74 |
| FWC Middle School Pea Branch | 4 | 0 | 38 |
| FWC Middle School Vaini Branch | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| FWC Middle School Houma Branch | 3 | 0 | 21 |
| TOTAL | 205 | 56 | 2846 |
Tertiary Institutions
- Siaatoutai Theological College
- Tupou Tertiary Institute- Fasi
| School | Teachers(2011) | Other staff(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sia'atoutai Theological College | 20 | 53 | 231 |
| Tupou Tertiary Institute | 19 | 8 | 425 |
| TOTAL | 39 | 61 | 656 |
Vavau
Primary Schools- Akoteu Neiafu
| School | Teachers(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Sau Faupula Bilingual Side School | 3 | 31 |
| Akoteu Neiafu | 2 | 32 |
| TOTAL | 5 | 63 |
Secondary Schools
- Mailefihi Siuilikutapu College
| School | Teachers(2011) | Other Workers(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailefihi Siu'ilikutapu College | 39 | 7 | 380 |
Haapai
Primary Schools- Akoteu Petani
- Akoteu Nomuka
| School | Teachers(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Akoteu Petani | 5 | 68 |
| Akoteu Nomuka | 3 | 21 |
| TOTAL | 8 | 89 |
Secondary Schools
- Taufaahau Pilolevu College
- Tupoutoa College- Nomuka
| School | Teachers(2011) | Other Staff(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taufa'ahau Pilolevu College | 17 | 5 | 127 |
| Tupouto'a College | 5 | 1 | 33 |
| TOTAL | 22 | 6 | 160 |
Eua
Secondary Schools- Hofangahau College
| School | Teachers(2011) | Other staff(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hofangahau College | 14 | 3 | 105 |
Tertiary Institutions
- Hango School of Agriculture
| School | Teachers(2011) | Other staff(2011) | Students(2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hango School of Agriculture | 7 | 13 | 37 |