“To maximise the potential of gifted and talented Pasifika children in our schools.”

1. “To maximise the potential of gifted and talented Pasifika children in our schools.” Leasiosiofa’asisina Max Galu AUT University Symposium Presentation Monday 13 September, 2010 Invercargill

2. Pasifika Term • Pasifika is a term used by the Ministry of Education (2004) to describe all those who still identify with the South Pacific Islands because of ancestry or heritage

3. Pasifika Diversity • It is also acknowledged that there is diversity among Pasifika people themselves. • Some come from families who have been in New Zealand for several generations, some are newly arrived. • Some were born in New Zealand, others in the Islands. • Some know their language and live the culture, others do not. • Some identify solely with a Pacific ethnicity, others have multiple ethnicities • What they do have in common is their heritage and connection to the Pacific Islands.

5. Pasifika peoples • 6.9% of the population or 266,000 people in New Zealand were of Pacific ethnicity • 131,103-Samoans • 58,008 -Cook Island Maori • 50,481-Tongan • 22,476-Niuean • 9,861-Fijian • 6,822-Tokelauan • Expected to increase to nearly 10% by 2026

6. Pasifika ethnicity • Manukau City: 1 in 4 people were of Pacific ethnicity • Auckland City: 1 in 7 people were of Pacific ethnicity • Waitakere City: 1 in 7 people were of Pacific ethnicity • Porirua City: 1 in 4 people were of Pacific ethnicity • 66% live in Auckland urban areas

7. Country of birth • 6 in 10 people of Pacific ethnicity were born in New Zealand • 7 in 10 people of Cook Island Maori and Niuean ethnicity were born in New Zealand • Many more people of Niuean, Tokelauan and Cook Island ethnicity living in New Zealand than back in those Islands

8. Pasifika demographics • The median age of people of Pacific ethnicity: Samoan 21 years Fijian 24 years Tuvalu & Niuean 20 years Tongan, Cook Island 19 years & Tokelauan • Nearly 2 in 5 people of Pacific ethnicity were aged under 15 years • 3 per cent of Pacific ethnicity were aged 65 years and over

9. The status of Pasifika giftedness in schools: gifts, talents, values & qualities “O le ala i le pule o le tautua” Samoan proverb translated: “to be a leader you must first serve” • Tautua/Service • Fa’aaloalo/Respect • Alofa/love-notions of sharing and caring

11. Ecological data • Ineffective and inappropriate identification of gifted and talented Maori students (Bevan-Brown, 1996). • Some talent not visible at school • Often seen at home, church, community • Holistic view: physical, intellectual and spiritual • Polynesian knowledge, values and beliefs should be given as much status and value as European ones (Galu, 1998)

12. The problem with success • Shared not individually owned • Humility • Labelling • Alright for the teacher to say the child is gifted • Reluctance amongst some parents of children from diverse minority cultures to identify their children as gifted and nominate them for gifted programmes

13. Pathways to success For Pasifika • Broad and more inclusive approach to identification • Recognise potential as well as performance • collaborative, co-operative as well as independent • Support, encouragement & mentoring • Contextualise classroom programme • Relationship/va • Pedagogical and culturally responsive classroom. • Leadership strand-practise makes perfect • Teachers to raise their expectations from the stereotype and deficit model • A search for common ground

14. Literature: themes, approaches • Teacher expectation (Alton-Lee, 2003) • Characteristics associated with cultural diversity that may obscure giftedness (Ministry of Education, 2004) • Needs of New Zealand’s gifted and talented students , for the most part, have been neglected by our education system (Moltzen, 2004) • A vulnerable group in our education system (Galu, 2010)

15. Student voice • “It has given me more confidence in going further.” • “It’s an environment with lots of families and friends.” • “The opportunities are there.” • “Certainly made aware of my culture but I don’t think it made any difference at all.”

16. A theory to guide action Pasifika authenticity • Opportunity for all schools to construct this for their own school community • Need a coherent structure not just an ad-hoc measure – it’s not a solo affair Rethinking G&T in Aotearoa • High IQ vs task commitment • Performance vs potential • Gifts vs talents

17. Putting it all together • A broader and more inclusive concept of giftedness • Multiple assessment instruments • Professional development for teachers • A cultural quota may be an appropriate equity measure • For teachers to recognise potential as well as demonstrated performance • Appropriate support for gifted Māori and Pasifika children

18. Conclusion • Every opportunity and encouragement should be given to gifted Māori and Polynesian children to achieve to the highest level. • An education system which is diverse and differentiated is sure to be more inclusive than one which seeks to impose the best single system for everybody on the basis of age, sex, ethnic background or intelligence

19. Pasifika children, like all children, have the potential to go far beyond our wildest dream.......they will take their aiga/family and community with them!

20. References Alton-Lee, A (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence synthesis, Wellington, Ministry of Education, pp.ii-x, 1-38. Bevan-Brown, J (1996). Special abilities: A Maori perspective. In D. McAlpine, & R. Moltzen Eds.), Gifted and talented:New Zealandperspectives (pp. 91-110). Palmerston North: ERDC Press. Bishop, R, & Glynn, T (1999). Culture counts: Changing power relations in education. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Dunmore Press. Cathcart, R & Pou, N (1992). The gifted child who is Maori. Apex 17(3), 13-17. Macfarlane, A H (2000). The value of Maori ecologies in the study of human development. In L. Bird & W. Drewery (Eds.). Human development in Aotearoa a journey through life (pp.26-51) Sydney: McGraw-Hill. Galu, M (1998). Gifted and talented: Perceptions of Maori andPolynesians educated in segregated classes. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton. Koloto, A (2000). A Tongan perspective on development. In L. Bird & W. Drewery (Eds.). Human development in Aotearoa a journey through life (pp.26-51) Sydney: McGraw-Hill. Ministry of Education. (2004). Gifted and talented education in New Zealand schools: a summary of the research on the extent, nature and effectiveness of planned approaches in New Zealand schools for identifying and providing for gifted and talented students. Wellington, N.Z. Moltzen, R (2004). Guiding a nations gifted. Keynote address to A New Millenium, a Gifted Future; the 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness, Beijing. Riley, T, Bevan-Brown, J, Bicknell, B. Carroll-Lind, J. & Kearney, A (2004). Gifted and talented education in New Zealand schools: a summary of the research on the extent, nature and effectiveness of planned approaches in New Zealand schools for identifying and providing for gifted and talented students. Social and Population Statistics Group, Statistics New Zealand.(2002). ‘CensusSnapshot-Pacific Peoples’ Department of Statistics, Government of New Zealand, pp.9-11. Statistics New Zealand and Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs (2010). Education and Pacific Peoples in New Zealand. Wellington. Tafili, L P (1998). O le Poutu: Women’s roles and Samoan language nests. PhD Thesis, University of Auckland. Tanielu. L S (2004). ‘Literacy education, language, reading and writing in the pastors school of the CCCS,’ PhD Thesis, University of Auckland, pp130-132.