Talangata'a 'ia tekita 'o fai ki tu'a'aa mama'o, tuku mu'a keu hufanga atu he pue 'o e ta'u fo'ouni pea mo e 'uli ngaholo 'o e vaka 'a e TYAT. Teu lave atu ki he ohi ngaue kuo hama 'aki 'eta fononga 'i Texas. Koe fatungakakato 'o e Tonga , 'oku tefito ia meihe 'ene ma'opo'opo he tapa kotoa pe 'o e 'aatakai, pea 'e makatu'unga ia meihe 'utumauku 'oku fatu mei loki ako. Pea 'i he 'ene pehee leva, te tau malava leva ke fofola atu 'a e fala 'o e fakapotopoto he tafa'aki fakasiosiale, faka'ekonimika, pea pehee foki ki he fakafamili. Koia, meihe loki ako, 'oku lau ai 'etau kau he fakama'unga 'o e fasi-matangi ki he fakafonualelei 'oku fakaakeake 'aki hotau kuongani.
Meihe tumu'aki e fonuani, 'oku fatu'ilangi mei ai e mahu'inga ke tu'uholoaki 'a e matapa 'o e ako ki he taha kotoa pe. 'Oku fale'i 'e Palesiteni Obama ke uho 'aki 'a 'ene fuafatongia: 1) 'a e fakapapau ke holoki 'a e ngaahi malumu 'oku felei 'aki e hala ki loki ako 2) pea ke to e hoko foki 'a Amelikani ko e tu'ukimu'a he mala'e 'o e ako 'i mamani.
Ko e tu'unga 'o e ako 'i he fonuani, 'i hono savea'i e tamaiki kuo 'osi 'a e High School 'o fakatatau ki he tamaiki 'oku ma'u mata'itohi mei he Univesisti, 'oku tomui 'aki 'e Amelikani 'a e peseti 'e 11 'i hono fakafehoanaki ki he ngaahi fonua fakalakalaka 'o mamani--'oku fu'u kei tokolahi 'a e tamaiki 'oku 'osi meihe High School kae 'ikai 'osi meihe Univesiti. Koe ngaahi fonua fakalakalaka, ko e peseti 'e 50 'o e tamaiki 'oku 'osi meihe High School 'oku lava lelei 'enau ako meihe Univesiti, ka ko Amelikani, ko e peseti pe 'e 39. Ko hono 'omai 'a e satisitika ko 'eni ki hotau kainga Tonga', ko e vanu 'ataa e vaa mama'o 'a e kehekehe hono fakatatau e tokolahi 'a e tamaiki 'osi meihe High School moe tamaiki 'osi meihe Univesisti. 'E lava pe ke fai kiai ha fakafuofua kapau tetau sio pe ki he fakaola 'a e tamaiki Tonga 'oku fai meihe L.D. Bell poea mo Trinity High School. Ko e vanu ko'eni 'oku tau faka'anaua ke vaaofi ange pe toe si'isi'i ange.
'I he tohi 'a Carnevale et al.'s “Help Wanted,” 'oku ne fakafuofua ai, koe ngaahi ta'u si'i hoko mai, ko e peseti 'e 63 'o e ngaahi ngaue (jobs) kotoa pe, 'oku hanga pe ia ki ha tokotaha 'oku 'iai ha'ane mata'itohi meihe Univesisti 'aia ko e peseti leva 'e 37 kiakinautolu 'oku 'ikai 'osi meihe Univesiti. 'I he 'ene tu'u pehee, 'e toe faingata'a ange ke ma'u ha ngaue kapau 'oku 'ikai 'ia ha mata'itohi.
Kuo tau fonua 'eta folau he 2012 pea kuo pavaki mai hono ngaahi koloa pea pehee foki ki hono ngaahi peau, ka ko e fakalaulauloto 'oku ou hu'una kiai, ko e haa koaa e ngaahi tamu'a foloau 'o e 2012? Fokotu'u atu: fai mu'a ha tokanga makehe ki he fakanofonofo 'o 'eta fanau ako. 'Oku 'iai pe 'a e me'a teta ala lava 'o fai, neongo pe ko haa 'a e tu'unga 'oku te 'iai. 'Oku 'iai 'a e tokanga ki he ngaahi me'ani:
1. How can we react to changes in the educational system?
2. How can we aid students that are struggle academically?
3. How can we access financial assistance?
4. Develop and Provide programs that are relevant to improving education for Tongan youths in Texas.
5. As parents, we must become the catalyst for our children's education by providing an environment that encourages them to maximize their abilities.
Ko e uki ngaue 'a e TYAT, 'oku tefito ia meihe faka'anaua 'ofa he 'auhee 'oku ta fai mai ki he fonuani, pea ke fakaakeake 'a e Tonga ke hoko ko e maka malohi 'i he kaha'una. Koe ngaahi me'a 'e nima 'oku hiki atu heni ko e kongasi'i pe ia 'o e ngaahi me'a 'oku ta fefahu'i mo ia he ngaahi 'ahoni.
Fanau 'a hou'eiki, 'oku ta taumu'a taha he faka'anaua ke fakaolamelie 'a e feinga 'oku ta fai. Ala mai mu'a ke ta nima-taha kae kaukaua 'a hota ivi pea si'i ai 'eta kavenga. Fakatauange ke hoko mai 'a e 2012 moe fangumalingi kakala ke laukau 'aki he'e Tonga kotoa, pea keta lau e koloa 'o e ta'ufo'ou kae 'oua na'a tafia 'i hono ngaahi peau.
'Ofa atu
Tangata'olakepa
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English Version
For us here Tongans in Texas, Education is the most valuable asset a person can possess. A well-informed and educated Tongans that live here in the states is fundamental to our social and economic well-being. It is through education that we can achieve social fulfillment, attain economic goals, and improve our overall standard of living. Education for Tonga in Texas encourages us to think for ourselves and to contribute to our society in a macro level. It will help us find the right balance between our needs, the transmission of Tongan culture, and meeting the development needs of our society here in Texas.
In his effort to ensure that everyone has an equitable access to a quality education, President Obama has committed to higher education by: 1) ensuring that all Americans have the ability to pursue college, and 2) for
the U.S. to “regain its lost ground” and have the highest proportion of young adults with college degrees compared to other developed nations by 2020. The Lumina Foundation also introduced its “Big Goal” of increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025. Currently, the United States remains at 39 percent for college degree attainment behind developed countries which are currently at 50 percent.
Why did I mention the above comments? As Tongans reside in the United States, we are unquestionably part of these statistics. Unfortunately, my assumption about Tongans’ college attainment, although not an empirical
hypothesis, is lower than that of the entire population-lower than 39 percent. We don’t have to look any further than our own backyard: how many students graduated from Trinity and LD Bell last year and compare that with our college graduating class of the same year? This is a reality that we must face. According to Carnevale et al.'s “Help Wanted,” low-skilled jobs that traditionally do not require a post-secondary degree are disappearing and in their place are jobs requiring some level of post-secondary education which are estimated to become 63 percent of total jobs in this country over the next decade. To us, Tongans in Texas, jobs will be harder to find. Therefore, for this New Year, 2012, equitable access to the highest level of education from primary to post secondary education for every Tongan's Youth in Texas should be our highest priority.
How do we achieve equitable access in 2012? We must recognize that each student has different abilities and needs. Hence, we will seek resources that match and help guide each student to the highest level possible. We
must volunteer our times and resources. Parents, churches, and community leaders must work together. Thus, together with a common goal of equitable access, we are required to response to many challenges that faced our youths each and everyday:
1. How can we react to changes in the educational system?
2. How can we aid students that are struggle academically?
3. How can we access financial assistance?
4. Develop and Provide programs that are relevant to improving education for Tongan youths in Texas.
5. As parents, we must become the catalyst for our children's education by providing an environment that encourages them to maximize their abilities.
It is the hope of TYAT and it's members that the 2012 will be a productive year and will bring us happiness and many successes. As always, TYAT is here to provide assistance with the many challenges our community will face in this New Year and beyond.
- Finau Tangata'olakepa Siale
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