.png)
“Qelu si gita pa nada vaka hite. Ture va toa ia tepe sina ele mae sa givusu”
Let Us Paddle Together as the Wind Blows (Roviana saying)
Why This Matters
Growing up in Aotearoa as a New Zealand-born Solomon Islander, I never really thought about inequality in education. School was just school, right? It wasn’t until much later when I started working in education that I realised the system wasn’t built with Pacific learners in mind. The more I learned, the more I saw the struggles that so many Pacific students faced.
For generations, Pacific families have come to New Zealand hoping for better opportunities, especially in education. But despite all the hard work and sacrifices, the system hasn’t always supported them the way it should. In this post, I want to unpack why that is, looking at history, the barriers Pacific learners still face today, and what we can do to change things.
A Little Bit of History
Pacific peoples have been in Aotearoa for a long time, over 1000 years, in fact. But in the 1950s and 60s, there was a big wave of migration. Labour shortages created an ‘open-door’ policy for Pacific workers (Bedford, 2009). Many Pacific families migrated with hopes of better opportunities, particularly in employment and education. The government encouraged Pacific peoples to come, but once they got here, they were often treated unfairly. Negative stereotypes persisted, with Pacific peoples often labelled as ‘overstayers,’ ‘coconuts,’ or ‘FOBs’ (Loto et al., 2006). The 1970s Dawn Raids, where Pacific people were targeted and arrested for overstaying their visas, were a harsh reminder that they had been used and abused to fill the labour shortage in Aotearoa. The 'open door' policy provided false hope and was slammed shut by the New Zealand government. Pacific immigrants had done what was required and now the government wanted them to return to their motherlands.
Sadly, these attitudes spilled over into education. Pacific students were often pushed into lower academic streams or seen as “underachievers.” Many of those old stereotypes, like the idea that Pacific learners are lazy or not academic, still linger today, even if we don’t always say them out loud.
The Struggles Pacific Learners Still Face
Fast forward to today, and we’re still seeing a lot of the same issues. Reports often talk about Pacific learners as “priority learners” or part of the “achievement tail” (Taleni et al., 2018). Basically, they’re seen as the ones falling behind. But that’s not the whole story.
The reality is, the system wasn’t and still isn’t designed for Pacific learners. Our education system is still largely based on the British model and continues to fail them.
There are a few key reasons why:
Deficit Thinking: This is a big one. Many teachers (even well-meaning ones) assume that Pacific learners struggle because of their culture or home life, rather than looking at how the system itself might be failing them.
A Lack of Culturally Responsive Teaching: Too often, school curriculums focus on a Eurocentric perspective. Pacific histories, cultures, and ways of learning aren’t included, which can make it hard for students to see themselves in what they’re being taught (Bishop & Glynn, 1999).
Disconnected Schools and Families: Pacific families deeply value education, but many don’t feel comfortable engaging with schools. There’s often a disconnect, and some families feel like they don’t have a voice in their child’s learning.
So, How Do We Fix This?
There’s no easy answer, but there are steps we can take.
Challenging Deficit Thinking – Teachers need to be aware of their own biases and shift their mindset from seeing Pacific learners as "at risk" to recognising the strengths they bring. Promoting success stories, encouraging reflective practice, and setting high expectations help shift mindsets toward recognising the strengths and potential of Pacific learners. Pacific students are resilient, hardworking, and bring rich cultural knowledge, let’s build on that (Hawk et al., 2002).
Making Learning More Relevant – The Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030 (MoE, 2020) encourages schools to include Pacific perspectives in the curriculum and create spaces where students feel valued. This could mean something as simple as correctly pronouncing students' names or as big as redesigning how subjects are taught. Using collaborative and conversational learning strategies, and providing culturally tailored resources. Engaging families, promoting Pacific role models, and creating an inclusive environment further support student success.
Strengthening Home-School Partnerships – Schools need to do better at connecting with Pacific families, not just when there’s a problem, but as a genuine partnership. “Building positive relationships with families and the wider Pasifika community supports the educational outcomes of Pasifika learners” (Easthope-Harper, 2018, p7). Parents should feel welcomed and included in their child’s education, not like outsiders. Involving families in decision-making, and celebrating Pacific languages and traditions. Providing bilingual resources, employing Pacific liaison staff, and supporting learning at home further enhance engagement and educational success.
My Own Reflection: Finding My Place
When I look back at my own schooling, I realise how much I straddled two worlds. My Yorkshire father encouraged us to assimilate, speak ‘The Queen’s English’, fit in and achieve highly. My Solomon Island mother, on the other hand, wanted us to stay connected to our Pacific roots and encouraged the language and cultural traditions of her village. Even within our own home, my sister and I had to navigate different cultural expectations.
At school, I didn’t even think about my identity much. Everything was so Westernised that it never occurred to me that there was another way. I remember thinking and believing if I behaved as ‘Pākehā’ as possible I would survive. It wasn’t until I began working in education that I truly noticed how absent Pacific culture was in our classrooms and just how crucial it is for fostering a sense of identity and belonging.
Now, as a Cluster Manager, I see firsthand the struggles Pacific learners face. There are pockets of excellence, schools embracing Pacific languages, traditions, and perspectives. Others are still stuck in the old ways of thinking. The biggest issue? Leadership. Schools that make real change have strong leaders who prioritise cultural responsiveness.
Looking Ahead: What Needs to Change?
We’ve talked about these issues for decades, and yet progress has been slow. The Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030 and Tapasā are a good start, but policies only go so far. Real change happens in classrooms, in leadership teams, and in the relationships between teachers and students.
Teachers need more training, not just in teaching strategies but in cultural competency. Schools need to create spaces where Pacific learners feel safe, valued, and empowered to succeed. And we, as a society, need to move away from the old deficit thinking and start recognising the incredible potential Pacific learners bring to Aotearoa.
So, how long will our Pacific learners have to wait? That’s the real question. And honestly, they shouldn’t have to wait any longer. It’s time we get this right.
References
Bedford, R. (2009). Pasifika migration-the new zealand story. Around The Globe, 6(1), 37-44. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.332400242079185
Bishop, R., & Glynn, T. (1999). Culture counts: Changing power relations in education. Palmerston North, NZ: Dunmore Press.
Easthope-Harper, S. (2018). Improving educational outcomes for pasifika learners through culturally-responsive pedagogy. Kairaranga, 19(1), 3-13. https://doi.org/10.54322/kairaranga.v19i1.295
Hawk, K., Cowley, E. T., Hill, J., & Sutherland, S. (2002). The importance of the teacher/student relationship for Māori and Pasifika students. Set: Research Information for Teachers, 3, 44–49. https://doi.org/10.18296/set.0716
Loto, R., Hodgetts, D., Chamberlain, K., Nikora, L. M., Karapu, R., & Barnett, A. (2006). Pasifika in the news: the portrayal of pacific peoples in the new zealand press. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16, 100-118. 10.1002/casp.848
Ministry of Education. (2020). The Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030. Wellington: Ministry of Education. https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Documents/our-work/strategies-and-policies/action-plan-for-pacific-education/2020-Action-Plan-for-Pacific-Education/full-version/Action-Plan-for-Pacific-Education-20202030.PDF
Taleni, T.O., Macfarlane, S., Macfarlane, A. H., & Fletcher, J. (2018). Tofa liuliu ma le tofa saili a ta’ita’i pasefika: Listening to the voices of pasifika community leaders. NZ Journal of Educational Studies, 53 (2), 177-192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-0180114-7
Comments