More than 290 Pasifika early childhood and primary educators meeting in Auckland this week have urged the Government to re-consider proposed cuts to Pasifika staff and programmes at the Ministry of Education and within the wider public service.
Participants at NZEI Te Riu Roa's National Pasifika Fono cautioned that ministry cuts and proposals to disperse Pasifika teams would have a disproportionate impact on the already small amount of resource dedicated to Pasifika students.
Komiti Pasifika Auckland president Lagi Leilua says there is incontrovertible evidence that the current education system under-serves Pasifika students.
“The ministry's current Pasifika programmes and expertise to kickstart change and innovation in the system, as well as to ensure the cultures, languages, and identities of Pasifika students are recognised and valued in teaching and learning, are critical to turning that around.
"However, the proposed cuts in both community-facing and curriculum teams risk undermining the progress we’ve made so far.”
Mrs Leilua says cuts to the Ministries of Health, MSD, Pacific Peoples and other government agencies would also impact on Pasifika students and their families.
“Aotearoa is increasingly a Pacific nation, with a growing population of young Pasifika citizens. The Government should be investing in our children, not short-changing their education.”
ENDS
Recent media releases
-
From classrooms to checkouts: Job insecurity forcing teacher aides into second jobs
Around 53 per cent of teacher aides and school support staff report a lack of job security, with many forced into second jobs just to make ends meet, according to a recent NZEI Te…
-
NZ Government out of step with International Day of Education
The New Zealand Government's current wave of top-down curriculum changes is clashing with the global call for inclusive, student-led learning, NZEI Te Riu Roa said.
-
NZEI extends funding support for schools in India and Myanmar
NZEI Te Riu Roa recently approved a further year of funding support for schools in India and Myanmar, which are attended by around 1300 children in total.