Pasifika Education Plan

2013-2017

Foreword
Talofa lava, Kia orana, Fakaalofa lahi atu,
Talofa ni, Ml e lelei, Ni sa bula, Greetings,
Tena koutou katoa.

and collaborative ways between parents and

teachers, community groups and education
providers.

A key goal for our Government is to create the

conditions for strong, vibrant and successful
Pasifika communities communities that can help
build a more productive and competitive economy
for all New Zealanders.

Practically, this means increasing participation

in quality early childhood education to drive
higher literacy, numeracy and achievement of
qualifications in schooling, which in turn will
contribute to higher participation and completion
of qualifications in tertiary education, resulting in
the greatest social, cultural and economic benefits.

We are pleased to present the Pasifika Education

Plan 2013-2017 which sets out the Governments
strategic direction for improving Pasifika education
outcomes over the next five years. It is one of the
Governments key strategies that will contribute to
economic growth and social well-being.
We have been working to improve outcomes for
Pasifika learners through increased participation
in early childhood education, enhanced school
experiences, and a sharper focus on provider
performance. As a result, Pasifika learners
participation and achievement in education have
improved markedly during the last five years.
More Pasifika learners are achieving NCEA Level 2
and gaining entrance to university. We have seen
an increase in the number of Pasifika students
gaining Level 4 and above qualifications by age 25
from18% (836) in 2007 to 26% (1,300) in 2010.
The Pasifika Education Plan puts Pasifika learners,
their parents, families and communities at the
centre of the education system, where they can
demand better outcomes. The Pasifika Education
Plan also aims to lift the level of urgency and pace
in delivering change more quickly, in sustainable

levels at least on a par with other learners.

The Pasifika Education Plan aims to not only
keep up the momentum we have achieved to
date but also step up the pace by increasing the
responsibility and accountability of everyone in
the education system. The Pasifika Education Plan
will also contribute to achieving the Governments
education priorities by focusing on achieving the
Better Public Services (BPS) targets for education.

Higher level tertiary qualifications bring people

the greatest benefits, including better income and
employment opportunities. When compared with
all other groups, despite the progress we have
made, Pasifika people still have the second lowest
proportion with degrees or higher qualifications.
We need Pasifika learners to be achieving at all

We look forward to seeing a significant lift

in outcomes for Pasifika learners with the
implementation of the new Pasifika Education
Plan 20132017. We expect the Ministry of
Education and its Education Partner Agencies to
ensure that everything they do works well so that
successful Pasifika participation, engagement and
achievement in education are a sustained reality.

Hon Steven Joyce

Minister for Tertiary Education
Skills and Employment

Hon Hekia Parata

Minister of Education
Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

PASIFIKA IDENTITY
INTERGENERATIONAL

DIVERSE
MULTIPLE WORLD VIEWS
LOCATION CONNECTEDNESS

A Message from the Secretary for Education and Chief Executives of Partner Agencies
Talofa lava, Ml e lelei, Kia orana, Talofa ni,
Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula and greetings to
you all.
New Zealands education system must work
better for Pasifika learners. The Pasifika Education
Plan 2013-2017 (PEP) seeks to build on what is
working well and raise achievement for all Pasifika
learners.
The PEP highlights the importance of the Ministry
of Education and partner agencies working with
Pasifika communities to improve outcomes for
Pasifika learners. Working together ensures that
activities that are required to lift achievement also
respond to the identities, languages and cultures
of the different Pasifika groups. Also, working with
parents, families and communities, means better
outcomes will be achieved by learners.
The PEP adopts a Pasifika connected way of
working. This connectedness highlights the
importance of Pasifika collective partnerships,
relationships and responsibilities and demands
consistently high quality and effective education
for Pasifika success. The PEP aims to promote
closer alignment and compatibility between
learners educational environments and their
home and cultural environments. Implementing
actions raised in the PEP will lift quality early
childhood education, strengthen engagement in
all areas of learning and raise achievement for
Pasifika learners.
The Ministry of Education alongside the Ministry of
Pacific Island Affairs, the Education Review Office
(ERO), the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the
New Zealand Qualifications Authority

(NZQA), Careers New Zealand (CareersNZ), New

Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) and
the New Zealand Teachers Council (NZTC) are
working together to deliver results for all Pasifika
learners.
The PEP is the overarching education strategy
from which other agencies Pasifika frameworks
and strategies link to. These links are seen through
the NZQAs Pasifika Strategy 2012-2015, TECs
Pasifika Framework 2013-2017 and EROs Pacific
Strategy.

By prioritising the achievement of Pasifika

learners, education agencies will ensure all our
performances in lifting achievement are measured
and transparent. The Ministry will closely monitor
the implementation of the PEP and expects to see
increased Pasifika participation, engagement and
outcomes.
Together we will work towards achieving the goals
that Pasifika learners, their parents, families and
communities demand as citizens of Aotearoa
New Zealand.

Lesley Longstone Pauline Winter

Secretary for Education
Chief Executive
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs

Dr Graham Stoop
Chief Review Officer & Chief Executive
Education Review Office

Dr Karen Poutasi
Chief Executive
New Zealand Qualifications Authority

Belinda Clark
Dr Graeme Benny
Chief Executive Chief Executive
Tertiary Education Commission
Careers New Zealand

Dr Peter Lind
Lorraine Kerr
Director President
New Zealand Teachers Council
New Zealand School Trustees Association

PASIFIKA
VALUESINCLUSION LEADERSHIP
RECIPROCITY

LEADERSHIP
FAMILY RECIPROCITY
FAMILY
SERVICE
SPIRITUALITY
SERVICE
SPIRITUALITY
LOVE
RESPECT
RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS BELONGING
BELONGING

Pasifika Education Plan

2013 - 2017

Pasifika Success

The Pasifika Education Plan (PEP) personalises all of

the Ministry of Education and partner agencies work
to Pasifika. Personalising is used to show that the PEP
brings together all of the Ministrys work for Pasifika
and puts Pasifika learners, their parents, families
Literacy and Numeracy
and communities at the centre of the Pasifika
Education Plan so that all activities ensure
Quality and
Accountability and
they are responding to the identities,
PAS
Effective Teaching
Performance
Intergenerational
languages and cultures of each Pasifika
Pas IFIK
ENT
M
Talanoa
A
i
group. This requires the PEP to take
we fika
PA
EVE are
Ako
c
l
CHI eavers ally ls
account of processes, methodologies,
suc l prep hildr RTIC
A
l
i
A
IP
Reciprocal
e
a
ces
theories and knowledges that are
s ared f n star ATIO
FIK school nd soc heir go
I
Relationships
S
or
PA ifika ally a ieve t
faasamoa (the Samoan way),
edu t scho N
cat ol
Pas demic to ach
faka-Tonga (the Tongan way),
ion
aca ipped
faka-Tokelau (the Tokelau way),
equ
faka-Niue (the Niue way),
akanoanga Kki irani (the
Transitions
Pasifika Learners,
Location
Respect
Cook Islands way), and vaka-Viti
Parents, Families
Spirituality
Pasifika
(the Fijian way) for the major
and Communities
Evidence
Connectedness Service
Pasifika populations.
and Data
Leadership

NING
LY LEAR
E AR

Personalising learning and creating

successful pathways for learners
across their education journeys

PASIFIKA ENGAGEMENT

Pasifika
Competencies

ION

High Expectations
for Success

Identities,
Language
and Cultures

CAT

Multiple
World Views

Belonging

DU
YE

SCH
O
O
LIN

Data and information will be used to increase the

knowledge and voice of Pasifika learners, parents,
families and communities, so they can demand better
outcomes and influence the education system from
within.

Family

Love

EDUCATION SECTO
R
W
IDE

Inclusion

T
E
RT

Pasifika Success will be

Governance
characterised by demanding,
and
Leadership
vibrant, dynamic, successful
Pasifika learners, secure and
confident in their identities,
languages and cultures through all
curriculum areas such as the arts,
sciences, technology, social sciences and
mathematics. This involves the deliberate
and systematic use of a holistic approach
and using existing communities, venues and
networks to access Pasifika parents, families and
learners to support their wellbeing and learning from
beginning to end.

R
IA

PA

IES AND COMM

UNI
FAMIL
,
S
T
TIE
N
S
RE

Vision: Five out of five Pasifika learners participating, engaging and achieving in education, secure
in their identities, lanuguages and cultures and contributing fully to Aotearoa New Zealands social,
cultural and economic wellbeing.

PASIFIKA IDENTITY

INTERGENERATIONAL
DIVERSE
MULTIPLE WORLD VIEWS
LOCATION
CONNECTEDNESS
TALANOA AKO

Ministry of Education Statement of Intent

PRIORITY OUTCOME 1 Improving education outcomes for Mori learners, Pasifika learners,
learners with special education needs and learners from low socio-economic backgrounds.

PRIORITY OUTCOME 2 Maximising the contribution of education to the New Zealand economy.

Ministry of Education and Education Partner Agencies Contacts

The PEP aims to achieve optimum
learning by promoting closer
alignment and compatibility
between:
the learners educational
environment,
their home and/or cultural
environment,
so that communities, education
providers and services, are using their
individual, collective and cultural
connections and affiliations to work
together towards better outcomes
and better results.
The Pasifika Education
Implementation Plan is the
accompanying document designed
as a guide to support Pasifika
learners, their parents, families and
communities to achieve the goals
and targets of the PEP. It outlines

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
NATIONAL OFFICE
Pipitea Street
Thorndon
Wellington
PO Box 1666
Ph: (04) 463 8000
Fax: (04) 463 8252
www.minedu.govt.nz

MINISTRY OF PACIFIC ISLAND AFFAIRS

www.minpac.govt.nz

CAREERS NEW ZEALAND

www.careers.govt.nz

EDUCATION REVIEW OFFICE

www.ero.govt.nz

NEW ZEALAND QUALIFICATIONS

AUTHORITY
www.nzqa.govt.nz

NEW ZEALAND TEACHERS COUNCIL

www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz

TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION

www.tec.govt.nz

the resources and support available

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL TRUSTEES

ASSOCIATION

from the Ministry of Education and

www.nzsta.org.nz

Education Partner Agencies.

The Pasifika Education
Implementation Plan will be
available from January 2013 at
Pasifika Online www.pasifika.tki.org.nz

For further information contact:

Pule Maata, Senior Manager
Pasifika
[email protected]

PARENTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUN

The focus is on more informed and demanding parents, families and communities supporting and c

TARGETS

GOALS
1. Pasifika parents, families and communities
support and champion their childrens learning
and achievements.
2. Pasifika parents, families and communities
are better informed, more knowledgeable and
demanding consumers of education services.

Increase Pasifika participation on School Boards of

Trustees to be proportionate to the number of Pasifika
students at the school.
Increase the proportion of ECE services and schools
identified by ERO as successfully engaging with their
Pasifika parents, families and communities.

NITIES (PFC)
championing their childrens learning and achievements

ACTIONS
The Ministry of Education and the Education Partner Agencies will:

Improve the provision of information to Pasifika parents, families and communities about the
benefits of early learning, particularly literacy and numeracy, National Standards, NCEA, ERO
reports, Youth Guarantee and vocational planning for further education and/or employment.
Provide information to ensure prospective Pasifika learners, their parents, families and
employers understand the qualifications on offer, their links to industry and the outcomes
for graduates.
Monitor and publish information about the performance of the tertiary education system for
Pasifika learners, including progress against the Pasifika Education Plans targets.

Strengthen partnerships to ensure PFC are engaged in their childrens learning.

Increase the number of Pasifika members on school Boards of Trustees.

Strengthen partnerships to support Pasifika identities, languages and cultures.

Provide information to PFC to raise awareness of Early Intervention services, build their trust
and confidence and raise their understanding of special education services.

PASIFIKA VALUES

RECIPROCITY
INCLUSION
SPIRITU
SERVICE
RESPECT
RELATIONSHIPS

LEADERSHIP

FAMILY
UALITY
LOVE
BELONGING
LEADERSHIP
RECIPROCITY
INCLUSION
FAMILY
SERVICE
SPIRITUALITY
RESPECT
RELATIONSHIPS
BELONGING

EARLY LEARNING
The focus is on increasing participation in quality early learning and building a strong
foundation for life-long education.

TARGETS

GOALS
1. Pasifika children start
school well prepared for
education success.
2. All Pasifika parents,
families and communities
understand and value
the importance of early
learning.
3. Early childhood education
(ECE) services are
culturally intelligent and
effectively engage Pasifika
children, parents, families
and communities.

The proportion of Pasifika

children starting school who
have participated in ECE will
increase from 86.2 percent
in 2012 to 98 percent in
2016.

ACTIONS
The Ministry of Education and the Education
Partner Agencies will:

By 2017, 85 percent of ECE

services reviewed by ERO
are effective for Pasifika
children.
By 2016, increase the
number of Pasifika ECE
Language Services teaching
in a Pasifika language or
culture over 50 percent of
the time.
Increase the percentage
of Pasifika learners with
special education needs,
aged 0-5 years, accessing
early intervention services
from 9 percent in 2012 to
13 percent in 2016.

Improve information collection to identify

vulnerable Pasifika children.
Introduce new approaches to engage
parents, families and communities (PFC)
with ECE for example through Supported
Playgroups and the Engaging Priority
Families initiative.
Change funding policies to incentivise
better support for and participation by
Pasifika learners.
Gain support from schools to:
- identify and engage Pasifika learners
under six;
- support Pasifika ECE learners to
English medium schooling;
- plan for Pasifika children with no ECE
experiences before enrolling at school.

Increase the percentage of Pasifika

learners and reduce the average age
at which they start accessing Early
Intervention services.
Strengthen accountability processes by
reviewing early childhood education
services responses and actions to
promote the participation, attendance
and engagement of Pasifika children,
their parents, families and communities.

SCHOOLING
The focus is on accelerating literacy and numeracy achievement and gaining NCEA Level 2
qualifications as a stepping stone to further education and/or employment.

TARGETS

GOALS
1. Pasifika learners
excel in literacy
and numeracy
and make
effective study
choices that lead
to worthwhile
qualifications.
2. Pasifika school
leavers are
academically
and socially
equipped to
achieve their
goals for further
education,
training and/or
employment.
3. Pasifika parents,
families and
communities
engage with
schools in
supporting
their childrens
learning.

85 percent of year
1-10 Pasifika learners
will meet literacy and
numeracy expectations,
including achieving at
or above in National
Standards across years
1-8, in 2017.
The number of all
Pasifika school leavers
leaving with NCEA Level 1
literacy and numeracy to
increase from 80 percent
in 2010 to 95 percent in
2017.
85 percent of Pasifika 18
year olds to achieve NCEA
Level 2 or equivalent
qualifications in 2017.
Increase the number of
Pasifika school leavers
with University Entrance
to achieve at least parity
with non-Pasifika school
leavers in 2017.
The rate of Pasifika
suspensions to reduce
from the July 2011 level
of 5.4/1000 to 3.6/1000
in 2017, expulsions to
reduce from 3.3/1000 to
1.5/1000 in 2017 and the
Pasifika exclusion rate to
reduce from 2.2/1000 to
1.3/1000 in 2017.
80 percent of schools
demonstrate fully
inclusive practices by
2014 and the remaining
20 percent of schools
demonstrate some
inclusive practices by
2014. This will see every
Pasifika child with
special education needs
welcomed, participating,
enjoying and achieving at
any New Zealand school.

ACTIONS
The Ministry of Education and the Education Partner
Agencies will:

Implement focused programmes and activities in

targeted secondary and primary schools with high
Pasifika rolls to increase and accelerate Pasifika
achievement.
Use Professional Learning and Development to upskill
educators in what works for Pasifika learners.
Provide alternative learning opportunities that
support Pasifika learners to succeed and provide tools
to increase the capability of schools to deliver for
Pasifika learners.
Improve the provision of information to PFC about
National Standards, NCEA, ERO reports, Youth
Guarantee and vocational planning for further
education and/or employment.
Provide secondary school learners with choice,
flexibility and clear pathways leading to tertiary
qualifications and/or employment and also provide
Pasifika learners with a wider range of education
opportunities to achieve NCEA Level 2 or equivalent
at senior secondary and foundation tertiary levels.
Fully implement the Youth Guarantee programme
and support effective transitions to further education,
training and employment.
Strengthen accountability processes. For example
goals and targets for Pasifika learners in school
charters and ERO will review schools performance
on programmes targeting Pasifika learners,
implementation of the PEP and Pasifika learner
achievement.
Implement programmes and interventions to increase
presence, participation and achievement of Pasifika
learners with special education needs, and accelerate
implementation of Positive Behaviour for Learning
(PB4L) and the Incredible Years Teacher initiative.
Provide language and learning intervention to
support a smooth transition to school for learners
coming from Pasifika immersion early childhood
centres, and particularly Pasifika learners that have
not participated in early childhood education.
Use engagement initiatives such as the Pasifika School
Community Liaison Project to engage with parents,
families, communities and schools.
Increase the Pasifika capability of school Boards of
Trustees utilising new resources.

TERTIARY EDUCATION
The focus is on enabling Pasifika learners to attain higher levels of tertiary education through
increasing participation, retention and completion of tertiary level qualifications.

ACTIONS

GOALS
1. Pasifika learners participate and achieve at all
levels at least on a par with other learners in
tertiary education.
2. Pasifika people are a highly skilled and highly
educated workforce that fully contributes to New
Zealands economy and society.
3. Use research and evidence effectively to achieve
the goals of the Pasifika Education Plan.

The Ministry of Education and the Education Partner

Agencies, in particular the Tertiary Education Commission
will:

Increase Pasifika learner enrolments by incentivising

providers.

Improve the quality of tertiary education and

achievement of Pasifika learners.

Improve foundation education to lift the language,

literacy and numeracy skills of the working-age
Pasifika population and provide clear pathways into
study at NZQF Level 4 and above.
Increase transparency to drive higher system
performance and support well-informed study choices
by Pasifika learners and their PFC.

Incentivise providers to ensure Pasifika completions

and progression into higher level tertiary education.

Enable more Pasifika people to obtain skilled

employment in high growth, high demand industries.

Support Pasifika research priorities and build on

current research and analysis about Pasifika learners
to drive further performance gains.
Create Pasifika tertiary research priorities to help
researchers, including post graduate learners and
teacher researchers, to select topics that will foster
better achievement by Pasifika learners at all levels
and ensure the Performance-Based Research Fund
(PBRF) gives due emphasis to both research by Pasifika
researchers and research into Pasifika matters.
Monitor and publish information about the
performance of the tertiary education system for
Pasifika learners, including progress against the
PEPs targets.

EDUCATION SECTOR-WIDE
The focus is on the Ministry of Education and Education Partner Agencies working together to
deliver results for all Pasifka learners more urgently, monitor and report on the PEPs progress.

TARGETS

GOALS
1. The Ministry
of Education
provides strong
leadership
to education
providers and
Education Partner
Agencies for
Pasifika education
success.
2. Strengthen
relationships and
develop closer
collaboration on
Pasifika education
by increasing
knowledge,
confidence
and skills of
the education
workforce and
education
providers to
deliver effectively
for Pasifika
learners.

Build Pasifika competencies

across the education
workforce.
Deliver specialist education
services to Pasifika learners
in line with national
population data.
Increase by 20 percent
the number of Pasifika
registered teachers working
in ECE, schools and specialist
education services in 2017.

ACTIONS
The Ministry of Education and the Education Partner
Agencies will:

Build and maintain relationships and

partnerships for Pasifika education success and
continually build evidence about what works for
Pasifika learners with partner agencies.
Work collaboratively to become more urgent,
more measurement driven and more transparent
about Pasifika achievement.
Develop, implement and report on an Auckland
Pasifika Education Strategy that is personalised
to the needs of Pasifika learners, their parents,
families and communities in the Greater
Auckland Region.
Increase the knowledge, confidence and skills
of staff delivering specialist education services
to Pasifika and provide cultural supervision and
training for specialist education service delivery
staff.
Increase by 20 percent the number of registered
Pasifika teachers working in ECE, schools and
specialist education services in 2017.
Build Pasifika competencies across the education
workforce through developing a framework for
Pasifika competencies for teachers as a basis
for initial teacher education programmes,
graduating teacher standards and criteria for
teacher registration.
Support special education practices through
developing the network of regional Pasifika
practice advisors.
Work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (MFAT) and NZQA and other partner
agencies as required to respond to requests
from Ministries of Education across the Pacific
region, share evidence about what works for
Pasifika learners and support dialogue.

EARLY LEARNING KEY STATISTICS

Pasifika children have low participation rates in Early Childhood Education

Pakeha

Mori

Pasifika

All Children

97.90%

90.30%

86.20%

94.70%

Table 1: Percentage of prior participation in ECE by ethnic group (June 2011)

Percent of Year 1 Pasifika children

starting school who attended ECE

Percentage of Pasifika children starting school who participated in ECE in New Zealand
Total actual performance vs. performance required to meet 2016 target of 98% (2010-2016)
100
95
90
85
80
75
2010
Female

2011

2012
Male

2013
Total

2014
Required path

2015

2016
Forecast

SCHOOLING KEY STATISTICS

Pasifika National Standards Achievement: required progress to meet 85%

18,000 additional learners required

Writing

31.2%

53.8%

46.2%

Below /
Well Below
At /
Above

Mathematics

17,000 additional learners required

28.3%

56.7%

43.3%

15,000 additional learners required

Reading

26%

59%

41%
Target: 85% achieving the Standard by 2017
0%

5%

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%

Leavers with NCEA Level 1 (%)

Percentage of School Leavers achieving NCEA Level 1 and path required to reach target of 95% in 2017
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
2009
Pasifika

2010

2011

2012
Required Path Pasifika

2013

2014
non-Pasifika

2015

2016

2017

Required Path non-Pasifika

TERTIARY KEY STATISTICS

Number of Pasifika enrolments and five year completion rate at Levels 4 or above
Level of study

2005 Enrolments

2010 completion

Year

Total Pasifika

Level 4 Certificate

3,411

52.0%

2005

38.0%

Level 5 to 7 Diploma

1,802

55.0%

2006

38.2%

Level 7 Bachelors

1,872

47.0%

2007

37.8%

Level 8 Honors/Postgraduate Cert/Dip

294

39.0%

2008

38.6%

Level 9 Masters

115

37.0%

2009

38.9%

18

2010

39.9%

7,512

39.9%

Level 10 Doctorates

Five Year Completion Rates

Total

65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
2000

2001

Maori

2002

Year started

2003

Asian

Pasifika

2004
European

2005
Total

Percentage of 18-year-olds
with Level 2 or equivalent

BPS target: 85% of 18 year olds will achieve NCEA Level 2 qualification or equivalent in 2017
90
80

1.1

2.1

3.1

4.1

5.1

6.1

70

2.3

4.5

2012

2013

6.8

9.0

2014

2015

11.2

13.4

2016

2017

60
50
40
2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

All Ethnic Groups

Current Trend-forecast

2016

2017

2011

Pasifika
Required Path Shortfall

Number of Pasifika enrolments and participation rate at Levels 4 or above

Level of study

Total Pasifika

Rate

Year

Total Pasifika

Rate

Level 4 Certificate

3,561

8.18%

2001

4967

15.4%

Level 5 to 7 Diploma

2,204

5.06%

2002

5481

16.8%

Level 7 Bachelors

5,512

12.7%

2003

6704

20.3%

329

0.76%

2004

6859

20.6%

55

0.13%

2005

7292

21.5%

0.01%

2006

7885

21.6%

11,768

27.0%

Level 8 Honors/Postgraduate Cert/Dip

Level 9 Masters
Level 10 Doctorates
Total
Gender

2007

8711

22.8%

2008

9273

23.1%

Total Pasifika

Rate

2009

10902

26.0%

Male

4,735

21.7%

2010

11768

27.0%

Female

7,033

32.5%

11,768

27.0%

Participation Rate

Total

45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2001
Maori

2002

2003
Pasifika

2004

2005
Asian

2006

2007
European

2008

2009
Total

2010