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MORE PACIFIC ISLAND DOCTORATES GRADUATING IN NZ
By Ruci Farrel
  Is the education landscape for Pacific Islanders in New Zealand’s tertiary segment changing for the better? Of the 4948 students at the University of Auckland that capped this year, 220 or 4.45% were Pacific Islanders. According to the university’s annual report, 2069 Pacific Islanders are among 33,226 currently enrolled this year.

Three Pacific Island students received their doctorates with a further three or four expected to graduate next year. Word has it that at least 15 Tongan students are heading in a similar direction.

“The biggest hurdle has been finance because I know this year’s three PhDs had scholarships to do their research,” says Dr Melanie Anae, director of the Centre for Pacific Studies.

“We are at the threshold of change. We need to put more PhDs through and we need more good scholarships with no strings attached, but at the same time we need to keep an eye on them to ensure they fulfil their milestones.”

Dr Lonise Tanielu’s thesis centred on the educational significance of the Pastor’s School, the A’oga a le Faifeau, of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa and its role in raising the literacy and educational standards of Samoan and Pasifika children.

New Zealand born Samoan Dr Jemima Tiatia completed her masters in education and post graduate diploma in public health. The 28-year-old research consultant elected to cover youth suicidal behaviour of NZ born Samoans for her doctorate in community health in the hope of advancing knowledge to prevent the incidence of suicide.

Tongan academic Dr Sione Mao, was on his way to the United States shortly after he graduated with a doctorate in mathematics.

 Achieving their academic goals was no easy task for Dr Tiatia and Dr Tanielu but a strong support and mentoring network, sensible time management and good old perseverance were what saw them through.

University students who use the proverbial “too many church and family commitments” excuse to validate their shortcomings should take a leaf out of Dr Lonise Tanielu’s book.
 		    

University of Auckland new PHD graduate – Samoan Dr Lonise Tanielu’s thesis centered on the educational significance of the Pastor’s School, the A’oga a le Faifeau.

University of Auckland new PHD graduate - Tongan academic Dr Sione Mao, a strong support and mentoring network, sensible time management and good old perseverance were what saw him through.

University of Auckland PHD graduate – Samoan Dr Jemima Tiatia elected to cover youth suicidal behaviour of NZ born Samoans for her doctorate in community health.
 
  The 55-year-old Samoan educator is herself the daughter of a pastor and has been a full time pastor’s wife for many years having sired five children while completing her degree from the University of the South Pacific and Masters from the University of Auckland.

Now a programme leader in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the Auckland University of Technology, Dr Tanielu juggled motherhood, home maker, wife of a pastor, part time lecturer and developing a Samoan language early childhood programme to complete her PhD in education.

Her husband is a pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Grey Lyn where they run an intensive programme of literacy classes in the Samoan vernacular.

“In pastor school we almost exclusively teach our children how to read and write Samoan from preschool right up to classes 6 or 7. It is important that the school understands where the child is coming from culturally.

“A child can transfer skills in reading and writing to learn a new language whether it be English or Samoan. It is important also to speak the language as it is spoken in the home,” Dr Tanielu says.

“You cannot assimilate people quite completely into the dominant culture, it is important we identify with our own cultures, the education system should recognize our cultures and have that connection between us and them so we can start with what we know and then move on to other things.”

One who finds this line of reasoning familiar is University of Auckland linguist Dr Melenaite Taumoefolau who gave a public seminar recently on raising the levels of achievement of Pacific students.

In her observations Pacific Island students have a woeful history of not committing the time to attend lectures, research and hand in their assignments on time.

“It’s time for our communities to give a little, to front up to the requirements of academic achievement, If you want to improve you commit the time. There is no excuse to have low passes, no excuse not to come, not to devote more time.

Inadequate English skills to accommodate an academic context was another factor in the lamentable record of Pacific Island students. It happens to be the medium of instruction and if your English is weak there is no cure, Dr Taumoefolau said.

“Here you have the clash between your Pacific culture and a more liberal NZ culture and students tend to do whatever they like.

“Parents both work, there is little bringing up of children in ways conducive to academic achievement. Here the main enterprise seems to be finding money to carry out various obligations to the church, there are more bills which have to be paid.

“And the church is very strong especially among Tongans and Samoans. It takes away the parents’ thoughts from the education of their children which I think should be foremost in their considerations,” Dr Taumoefolau said

“But for us educators — bilingualism is the way to go. What’s happening is kids are acquiring English at the cost of their Pacific languages. So they lose the Pacific language to develop their English language skills, oral English and getting better and better at it. Ultimately it will be an individual thing, but there are patterns.”

Dr Taumoefolau said research tells us that if you are bilingual you are better cognitively. If you develop your mother tongue and become competent in it before you learn another language it will open you up better cognitively.

“We find that Niue and Cook Islands Maori languages are declining, lost at an advanced rate. Samoan and Tongan languages are not as advanced but we are heading there,’ Dr Taumoefolau said.

“That’s why we are advocating to the Ministry of Education that bilingualism is the way to go. If one day they decide yes that’s the way to go that they will be instrumental in setting up bilingual units everywhere.”

New Zealand has so far committed millions of dollars to teacher training programmes and establishing early childhood centres with a bilingual focus.

But what guarantees do we have that Pacific students will dedicate the time to attend lectures and study. Will the communities, families and the churches allow them the liberty of reaching the echelons of excellence that the university has waited 15 years to see? What’s there to keep our Pacific doctorates and grandaunts from taking flight in pursuance of greener pastures and lucrative pay packs outside our shores?
 		  
 

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