Teaching Pasifika students

Educators can help improve Pacific student outcomes

In the past 10 years, Pacific student outcomes have improved.

But there is still an achievement gap between Pacific learners and learners from other groups.

Inequities in our education system are preventing Pacific student success.

Aotearoa's Pacific population is youthful and growing. By 2030, Pacific people will represent more than 10% of the working-age population.

Pacific peoples' educational success is essential for their social, cultural, and individual wellbeing.

It is also essential for New Zealand's economic future.

Teachers can promote Pacific student success by:

combating racism and bias, barriers to Pacific learner wellbeing and achievement
adopting culturally responsive pedagogies
having high expectations for Pacific learners
engaging with Pacific parents and communities
understanding the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Pacific learners
valuing the diverse identities, cultures and languages of Pacific learners.

Twice

Number of times the percentage of Pacific students meeting University Entrance (UE) standards passed 30% in the last 10 years.

29.6%

Increase in enrolment-based attainment of NCEA Level 3 for Pacific learners between 2012 and 2021.

20%

Estimated percentage of Pasifika students in New Zealand schools by 2050.

Who are Pasifika students?

Learners whose families come from the Pacific Islands, or who identify with the Pacific Islands in terms of their ancestry or heritage.

The Pacific Islands are home to a diverse range of cultures and countries.

These include Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and Tuvalu.

Pasifika is a disputed label because it suggests a universal ethnicity or identity among Pacific peoples.

Despite its potential to homogenise, the term Pasifika is often used in an education context to refer to students of Pacific Island background.

To get the best out of their students, educators must respect and understand the diversity of Aotearoa's Pacific population.

Teaching Pasifika students

To address inequities in education, the New Zealand Government has launched several initiatives.

These include programmes designed to improve Pacific student success by promoting better cultural competency in teachers.

Cultural competency means being aware of your own beliefs and values, and recognising that these are different from those of other cultures.

The Tapasā Framework

Tapasā is a cultural competencies framework for teachers.

It helps educators understand how to teach Pacific learners by illustrating different ways of learning and knowing through Pacific Island lenses.

This includes learning and knowing:

fa‘asamoa - the Samoan way
faka-Tonga - the Tongan way
faka-Tokelau - the Tokelau way
faka-Niue - the Niue way
akano‘anga Kūki ‘Āirani - the Cook Islands way
vaka-Viti - the Fijian way.

Tapasā resources

Tapasā resources for educators (external link) - Teaching Council website

The Tapasā Cultural Competency Framework (external link) - Ministry of Education (MoE) website

Navigating Tapasā (external link) - Tapasā website

The Pacific Values Framework

The Pacific Values Framework (PVF) is designed for teachers who work with NCEA level Pacific students.

It helps teachers create lessons and courses that are inclusive and relevant to Pacific learners and contexts.

This involves recognising Pacific knowledges, languages, cultures, and identities as valuable to how subjects are learnt and taught.

There are 5 key values in the framework: