Pacific education results need to improve

Updated August 21, 2008 14:30:28

The educational achievement of Pacific Island schoolchildren in New Zealand is to be carefully measured to see if they are catching up with European students. That's part of the aims of a new plan announced by Education Minister Chris Carter and Pacific Island Affairs Minister, Luamanuvao Winnie Laban.

Presenter:Bruce Hill
Speaker: Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, New Zealand Pacific Island Affairs Minister

LABAN: It's very important that it's not only the schools and the teachers and principals' responsibility, but it's also the responsibility of our families and our communities. Now the school that we launched, the Pasifika Education Plan at De La Salle College and it's a De Salle 1 college, it's a boys college, but 86 per cent of the students are Pasifika, and they're actually doing extremely well academically, but also in sport and culture. For example, Isaia Toeava you know who's in the All Blacks?

HILL: Yes.

LABAN: Yes, he went to that school. Now I had a good talk with the principal, Brother Steven Hogan, and I said look, there's obviously some very special magic in your school because you know other similar examples but not enough amongst the lower De Salle schools. And Brother Hogan and I said what's the magic? And Brother Hogan is obviously a very, very successful leader in terms of principal, he's gathered himself around a fabulous group of committed teachers, and he said that the expectations and the supports are there in terms of the school environment. But more importantly they have a very, very active participation by the parents and the families in ensuring their children do well. Now I think that's a good model but we need to also say to Pacific Island families that it's really important that time is put aside and our children are supported to do their studies and do their homework, not to be tied up all the time doing other things that somebody else could do.

HILL: The Pacific Island education system in New Zealand the effects of this are not felt just in Pacific families in New Zealand, they're also felt around the region, aren't they, because New Zealand has a very, very strong education relationship with Pacific Island countries?

LABAN: Well that's right and also as the large part of the aid monies, it's not only from New Zealand but also Australia do go into education. What I like about this template is it has some clear timeframes and clear targets and some numbers in it, so that we can feel confident that our children are improving and are at the end of the day...our ultimate aim is for them to achieve just as well alongside Palangi and Asian and other groups of children.

HILL: Do they have role models of success to model themselves on?

LABAN: Absolutely, I mean for example you've got Dr Tusitala Selina Marsh, who's a PhD Kiwi Palangi Samoan, who teachers literature, she's a fabulous poet. You've got Dr David Schaaf, who's an epidemiologist who's Tongan. So we've got actually quite a lot of role models, but we want to see more of our children do well. And it's not only in academic areas too, Bruce, the apprenticeship scheme that the government is supporting, that's another one where our children, who have a skill in terms of a trade can be encourage to do that. And of course the economic development focus of the ministry and joined up targets with everyone else is around to try to enhance our people and encourage them to go into business.

HILL: How long do you think it'll be before Pacific Island educational achievements catch up with the rest of the country?

LABAN: Well I'd like to see it massively improve in the next four years, but I think that it's in our interest to ensure that those results continue to improve because it's about children having opportunities for life, but also to contribute to the economy. And because of the demographic in New Zealand as we've got a large ageing Palangi demographic, we've got a fast growing young brown dynamic, and part of that is Pacific, is it really is important that these children do well, not only for their own Mana, but the Mana of their families and their communities, but of course for the country as well.