The president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, visited his old school for the first time since leaving it in 1970. He said the visit brought back a lot of wonderful memories and he was even able to reminisce with some old classmates who came especially for the occasion.
In a speech to the school, Tong recalled how as a boarder in the 1960s he had to have a haircut every month. A look at current students showed you could get away with a lot more nowadays, he said.
He also spoke about the issues of climate change facing his country.
Rising sea levels meant the low-lying islands of Kiribati may be uninhabitable the middle of this century, creating nearly 100,000 environmental refugees.
“The process of relocation should begin now rather than later,” he said.
New Zealand’s Pacific access scheme was a good example of how this could be done.
Tong also visited Canterbury University where he studied from 1971 to 1974, graduating with a bachelor’s degree.
“I learned a lot of things at Canterbury, an education is much more than text books: I learned how to accommodate and deal with the world and relate with people,” he said.
St. Bede’s College rector Justin Boyle said the school had jumped at the opportunity to have Tong visit.
“I think he brought the whole environmental issue forward it’s very real for them,” Boyle said.
Dr. Feleti Sevele, prime minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, is also a former student of the college.
