Reframing Pacific Education: Innovations From Aotearoa New Zealand

• In Event: Reframing Higher Education for Indigenous Peoples: Embracing Indigenous Perspectives and Empowering Future Generations

Abstract

In many countries including Aotearoa New Zealand, increasing cultural diversity in classrooms has led to a focus on developing equitable classroom settings. In this paper, we use examples from Aotearoa of shifts in Pacific education policy and practice originating from concerns about inequity for Pacific students in schooling. Three cases of Pacific led initiatives are used to exemplify the reframing of Pacific education by listening to and privileging the voices of Pacific people. We argue that to address equitable education for diverse student communities, teacher education needs to explicitly recognise and acknowledge structural inequities and racism inherent in education systems while providing opportunities for reflection and deep learning about differing knowledge systems and ways of being.

Authors

• Jodie Hunter, Massey University

• Tanya L.M. Samu, University of Auckland

• Fuapepe Rimoni, Victoria University of Wellington