Pasifika Education

The Faculty of Education offers two qualifications with Pasifika specialisations:

• Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) Pasifika specialisation; and
• Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood Pasifika specialisation

These programmes link directly with community demand and government initiatives to boost quality in Pasifika and general Early Childhood Education (ECE). Graduates are qualified to teach in diverse ECE settings in New Zealand, but will have specialised skills in Pasifika approaches to teaching and learning.

The goals of the Pasifika specialisations are:

• To provide content and skill development in teaching which are relevant to Pasifika communities. 
• To offer a quality ECE teacher education programme that integrates Pasifika languages and cultures.
• To offer a quality ECE teacher education comprising pedagogy and a curriculum that integrates and advances research, theory and practice in Pasifika and general ECE.
   

Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) Pasifika Specialisation
This is for ECE students who wish to learn Pasifika approaches to teaching and learning, combined with national and international best practice. In the final year courses there is an emphasis on applied studies.

This is a 3 year full-time course, or up to 6 years part-time.

Location: Epsom Campus, 74 Epsom Ave, Epsom
 

Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood Pasifika Specialisation
This degree was developed for those ECE students who wish to learn Pasifika approaches to teaching and learning, combined with national and international best practice. The final year has an emphasis on research and theory. Graduates are eligible for a higher salary band (Q3) than Diploma graduates. They are also eligible for graduate studies.

The course is 3 years full-time, or up to 6 years part-time.

Location: Epsom Campus, 74 Epsom Ave, Epsom
 

Why choose a Pasifika specialisation?

• You will have the opportunity to learn ECE teaching skills through Pasifika approaches to teaching and learning, in combination with national and international best practice.
• You will be qualified to teach in any early childhood centre.
• Anyone can apply.
• Individual learning is supported by Pasifika Academic Support Services (PASS).
• Learning is supported by the largest Pasifika teacher education team specialising in ECE in New Zealand.

In the Foundation Programme:
There is one course that is offered each semester.

• EDFOUND 17F Pasifika Academic Literacy
  

In the Liberal Arts Programme:

• EDUC 309 Issues in Pacific Nations Education
  This course is taught in collaboration with staff from the Centre of Pacific Studies. The venue is the Fale Pasifika, Wynard Street, on City campus.
   

Within the Teacher Education Programme:

There are a number of teacher education qualifications that offer courses that are Pacific-specific.

1. Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching:
   
   EDCURSEC 674B Teaching Samoan
   This is a course to help prepare those who hold a relevant degree qualification to teach the Samoan language curriculum in New Zealand secondary schools.
    
2. Bachelor of Education, Primary Teaching:
   It is possible, in the third and final year of the BEd primary teaching degree to choose a suite of three courses with a specific focus on preparing teachers to teach Pasifika and other ethnic minority learners in urban schools within New Zealand.
   This is an exciting and highly relevant initiative for the Faculty of Education. At the last census (2006) Pacific peoples in New Zealand made up 6.9% of the total population and 67% of Pacific peoples live in the Auckland Region -  approximately 14.4% of Auckland’s total population.
   The Ministry of Education has projected that by 2051 one in five children in New Zealand will be a Pacific child. The proportion of children in schools in the Auckland region who are Pasifika will be much higher. Such projections, from a Ministry of Education perspective, "provides a sense of urgency to ensure the educational needs of Pasifika children are met" (Ministry of Education website).
   If enrolment numbers are sufficient, this suite of courses will be offered for the first time in 2008.
    
3. Diploma in Early Childhood Education, Pasifika specialisations and Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood, Pasifika specialisations
   Please refer to the first part of this page for more information about the Pasifika Early Childhood Education Programme. These courses make up of the core of this qualification.

• EDCURRPK 111 Ng_ue’aki e Tekinolosia
• EDCURRPK 115 Apii taieni I nga mataiti mua
• EDCURRPK 116 Lafilafiaga Tautufuga Pasifika
• EDCURRPK 120 Na I vakarau ni vuli ka ena Pasifika
• EDCURRPK 121 Moui olaola
• EDCURRPK 122 Olaga fakate agaga ma aganuku
• EDCURRPK 210 Aoaoga o fanau laititi
• EDCURRPK 211 Gagana ma lana matafoi
• EDCURRPK 212 Fika’I he Fanau liki
• EDCURRPK 253 Aku akoga o gana o fenua katoa
  
• EDCURRPK 313 Tuvatuva vakarautaki ena vuli me qito
• EDCURRPK 320 Kimi oonu te apii tamariki ou
• EDCURRPK 321 Taulotoga o tuu a te atufenua
  
• EDPROFPK 102 Pe mafia vefea e ki tatou oi tamaiti aoga Pasifika
• EDPRACPK 102 Faiakoga o akoga kamata 1
  
• EDPROFPK 202 Puapii kite ote tamariki ou 2
• EDPROFPK 213 Faatulagaina o aoga amata
  
• EDPROFPK 302 Piapii kite ote tamariki ou 3
• EDPROFPK 314 Na qito me sala ni vaaivakatavulici

In the Post Graduate Programme:
There are also a number of Pacific fore-grounded courses available for students that are studying for their Graduate Diploma in Education, as well as those who are upgrading their diplomas in order to earn a B Ed degree.

These are:

• EDPROFST 220 Introduction to Samoan Language for Teaching
• EDPROFST 338 Language Acquisition for Pasifika People
• EDPROFST 340 Pasifika Research and Practice
• EDPROFST 341 Pasifika Languages for Teaching
  

In the Social Work Programme:

• SOCWORK 351 Working with Pasifika communities
• SOCWORK 307 Maori and Pasifika Supervision