PASIFIKA EDUCATION: DISCOURSES OF DIFFERENCE WITHIN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Education in the University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand Tanya Wendt Samu 2013 i Acknowledgments I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference. ROBERT FROST Yes, I took the road less travelled by when I chose to carry out a theoretical study and maintain my commitments of work and church service. I was blessed however with the unconditional support encouragement and guidance of those I have the privilege of acknowledging here. It is they that have made all the difference. First of all, I humbly acknowledge my Heavenly Father for His guidance and support. I thank Him for the blessings of a loving, supportive husband; family and good friends without whom the completion of this research would have been unlikely. I turn now to acknowledge those who were instrumental to my efforts to embark on and progress through this doctoral journey at the University of Canterbury - my supervisors Professor Peter Roberts of the College of Education, and Dr David Gegeo of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. I thank them for their patience, care and attention and their considerable scholarship and depth of knowledge. I especially acknowledge my senior supervisor, Professor Peter Roberts for the following: * guiding me towards carrying out research that aims to develop new and alternative ways of theorising and conceptualising (a move into unfamiliar territory but one which eventually yielded considerable personal growth and scholarly development) * showing me how philosophy can be harnessed and used in ways to illuminate real life problems and concerns – and that engagement with philosophical ideas does lead to new insights and from there, new knowledge ii * helping me to develop greater confidence in my own abilities to learn how to make sense of and to read complex abstract conceptual systems and theoretical frameworks I also very grateful to the Dean and staff of the College of Education, University of Canterbury for awarding me with a three-year full fees scholarship. Although I am a distance student, and was unable to participate in the College’s vibrant postdoctoral student community, being a doctoral student of the University of Canterbury, College of Education has been a source of satisfaction and pride for me. I sincerely hope my work leads to outcomes that will reflect well on the College, its staff and the University of Canterbury. Another university has played a significant role in my development as a scholar – and that is the university within which I work. I acknowledge with sincere thanks, the Faculty of Education of The University of Auckland for supporting my studies directly (with a semester of research and study leave and covering tuition fees for the remainder of my studies) and indirectly via my School (Critical Studies in Education, or CRSTIE) and its research culture. I have benefitted immensely from the School’s innovative efforts to accelerate the development of emerging researchers and academics. I thank the senior scholars within the School, and the Head of School Dr Airini for their commitment to building such an enabling, supportive and collegial academic community. I also acknowledge and thank my fellow CRSTIE colleague and mentor of many years, Associate Professor Eve Coxon. I would not even be on the academic career pathway that I am currently on, if it were not for her faith and belief in me many years ago and for her concerted efforts to identify, support and grow Pacific/Pasifika academics such as myself. My friends and colleagues within the Kainga Pasifika (an academic grouping within CRSTIE) have been a tremendous source of support for almost a decade now. May we continue to learn /laugh /agitate/resist and grow iii together on this journey through academe. And may we always do so on our own terms. I extend sincere thanks to Hilary Tolley for her assistance with editing and formatting the series of thesis drafts that preceded the final version. In addition to technical support, Hilary helped as a reader, giving useful feedback about how to communicate ideas and arguments more clearly and for this I am most grateful. Last but by no means least I would like to express my love and appreciation to those closest to me, who have had to witness (and respond) to me at my best, my worst, and everything else in between. I thank my husband Nathan for his constant love, patience, encouragement throughout this challenging journey. And I thank our children for their forbearance – they have ‘kept it real’ for me. I express my love and gratitude to both my families – the Wendt family of Alafua (Samoa) and the Samu family of Mangere (New Zealand). My children have never lacked in terms of the love, affection and attention of grandparents, aunts and uncles – and I have never lacked in terms of encouragement, support, unconditional pride and belief from my parents, parents in law, and my brothers and sisters from both families. iv Abstract This study is a conceptual analysis of specific terms and constructs that have become entrenched within education policy and practice in New Zealand within the 21st century – namely diversity , and Pasifika education. It is uncommon for users of these terms (educators, policy makers and researchers) to make their understandings and use of such terms explicit. In the absence of close and careful critique, limited and partial understandings of groups of learners constructed as diverse and different escape interrogation. The overall risks of this lack of conceptual clarity are: simplification and even misapprehensions of key dimensions of groups such as Pasifika learners and their communities. This results in unarticulated assumptions having undue influence over educators’, policymakers’ and researchers’ perspectives and their subsequent decision-making. The philosophical research questions of this study are addressed through a deconstructivist research framework that draws on the theorisations of J.R. Martin; M. Foucault’s theorisations relating to the historical analysis of ideas; and discourse theorising of a primarily post-structuralist nature. Six analyses were developed in order to address the research questions. Three focused on the level of national policies, macro-level influences, and post-colonial indigenous visioning. Three analyses are based on a selection of narrative accounts of Samoan women across time and space, examining education as a process of change, and its effects on personal identity and culture. The study critically reflects on the underlying values and belief systems of both policy and practice. It identifies and examines the tension between the state’s priorities for the provision of education for Pasifika peoples on the one hand, and Pasifika peoples’ motivations for pursuing and participating in education on the other. This is done in an effort to challenge complacency, provide alternative perspectives, deepen insights and strengthen understandings amongst those actively engaged as educators, policy makers and researchers in the education and development of Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand. v Abbreviations AIMHI Achievement In Multicultural High Schools ALL Adult Literacy and Life Skills APG Academic Programmes Group AusAID Australian Agency for International Development BES Best Evidence Synthesis CRSTIE School of Critical Studies in Education ERO Education Review Office FOE Faculty of Education GAPS Closing the Gaps Strategy GETS Government Electronic Tenders Service HRC Health Research Council IAE International Academy of Education IOE Institute of Education ITO Industry Training Organisation LPP Legitimate Peripheral Participation M/ PI Maori and Pacific Islanders MPIA Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs MOE Ministry of Education NAG National Administration Guidelines NCEA National Certificate of Educational Achievement NEG National Education Goals NEMP National Educational Monitoring Programme NOPE Network Of Pacific Educators vi NZAID New Zealand Agency for International Development NZC New Zealand Curriculum NZCER New Zealand Council for Education Research NZQA New Zealand Qualifications Authority NZTC New Zealand Teachers Council OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ORC Organisational Review Committee PBRF Performance Based Research Fund PEP Pasifika Education Plan PES Pacific Education Studies PI Pacific Islands PIECE Pacific Island Early Childhood Education PLD Professional Learning and Development QTRD Quality Teaching and Research Development RPEIPP Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative for and by Pacific Peoples SCOPE School of Pasifika Education SEMO Strengthening Education in Mangere and Otara SOCPOL School of Social and Policy Studies TEC Tertiary Education Commission TEO Tertiary Education Organisation TLRI Teaching and Learning Research Initiative TOPs Training Opportunities Programmes UNESCO United Nations Education Science and vii Culture Organisation USP University of the South Pacific UWC United World College viii Table of Contents Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................. ii Abstract .................................................................................................................................