Supporting Pacific Learners(Reflection)

 Culturally responsive strategies to meet the needs of Pacific learners who require additional support.

                     What is Pasifika or Pasifika peoples?

They are umbrella terms to categorise trans-culturally diverse peoples from the Pacific region who now live in New Zealand but continue to have family and cultural connections to Pacific Island nations.  Pasifika identifies themselves with the islands and cultures of Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau, Tuvalu and other Pasifika heritages. (Tapasā).

Who are our Pasifika learners? They are trans-culturally diverse individuals. They live or try to live in two different cultures. They are Tongans or Samoans and Kiwis at the same time consequently, learners live their traditional cultures at home and their Kiwis culture at school.

They are ethnic-specific individuals. Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands, Fijian, Niuean, Tokelauan, Tuvaluan learners are all Pasifika but they are very different because of their different ethnicities and cultural capital. They have multiple identities

“I’m Tongan, yep, but I’m also Kiwi”

 TAMAKI  College PASIFIKA LANGA  Ako Initiative:  Understand the background of our Pasifika learners and their learning. Revisit the Langa Ako initiative by sharing our work so far and the seeing pathway moving forward. Unpack the Teaching Standards for Professional Teaching through the Tapasā lense. Key areas Langa Ako will focus on to develop and enhance Pasifika culture, languages and identity in the school.

 Key Objectives: Infuse culture in the school by providing dedicated learning sessions that embrace Pasifika culture, language and identity. Provide opportunities to engage with our community. Provide staff and students focused PLD and lessons that contextualise learning content and teaching pedagogies to support Pasifika learners. Engage parents by providing ethnic parent groups that pro-actively walk alongside their child’s learning journey.