Education Conversations survey...https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/education-conversation/

https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/education-conversation/

Yesterday, I listened to one of the first Tongan MP, Member of Parliament, to be in office at the Pasifika Post budge breakfast. Honourable Jenny Salesa discussed briefly some of features of the various portfolios that she deals with as Minister of Building and Construction & Ethnic Communities; Associate minister for Housing; Health, Urban development & Education.

She spoke about the difficult situations that some of our Pasifika families are in i.e. in the 1990s about 50% of Pasifika population owned their own houses but now it is less than 20% of Pasifika population which is a worry for our future generations.

Another subject that she also spoke about was for more Pasifika people to have a say on the 'Educational conversations' that the Ministry of Education is having digitally on their website: https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/education-conversation/

There are 4 quick questions that relate to asking about what the important things are in education that people think need to happen in schools i.e. around what you would do if you were the boss of education and what schools should look like and what needs to happen.

Some very important questions as she did say that few Pasifika people had filled in the questionaire, which is a worry as we really need to consider what we think would be helpful for the next generational learning.

I commented about having a less Eurocentric curriculum and having one that reflects the communities that schools are in; that schools need to ensure that there is more cultural competencies for teachers and this is a regular occurrence having witnessed many teachers teaching Pasifika and Maori students without having a clue about their backgrounds and then wondering why the students don't respond favourably to their teaching which is still happening in classes around NZ today.

I also encouraged for the teaching and learning of more than two languages to be compulsory, like in many countries in Europe that teach four languages of neighbouring countries for communication purpose and education. I thought that teaching creative, knowledge, indigenous knowledge and sports, health etc. for students to be highly multi-functioning individuals who are able to problem solves from various paradigms and perspectives and who are highly confident.

Notwithstanding the importance of knowing Tangata whenua local communities and having an affinity with the local mana whenua, schools being associated to Wananga to get a better understanding of Mana Tangata and whenua as well as each student knowing well who they are and where they come from. When many of these ingredients are missing (not evening mentioning the spiritual [for me Christian] aspects of life) it's a recipe for disaster and why we have a flailing/failing education system in my opinion...