Niu Sila / New Zealand is an interesting nation. With a large indigenous Maori population, and a diversifying multi-cultural citizenry, there are constant debates about the place of Maori (and other minorities including Pacific peoples) in modern Niu Sila. The Maori Party, currently in co-alition with the National Government, recently stirred up the radio talk-back red-necks with a call by co-leader Dr Pita Sharples to allow open access for Maori students into tertiary education. Of course that’s not all he said, but that’s all the mainstream media picked up to get their revenue tills ringing. Dr Sharples also said: “My speech made clear that educational under-achievement by Maori students is obvious at school. That is why the Government allocated an extra million to expand the Kotahitanga programme in secondary schools, and almost million to extend the 20-hours free early childhood education to kohanga reo and playcentres,” said Dr Sharples. There is no doubt there is underachievement by Maori and Pacific students in education. The Starpath Project at Iunivesite o Aukilani / The University of Auckland has warned in its report that many Maori and Pacific students may not make it to university because they are making ill-informed NCEA subject choices. The study reports anecdotally on students who aspired to tertiary education but chose vocational subjects instead of academic ones. It found parents did not understand NCEA so were ill-equipped to advise their children on subject choice, and the wide range of subjects available under NCEA meant students were being diverted from the narrow range of subjects which lead to tertiary success. This is supported by other programmes I have been involved with, that too many schools with predominantly Maori and Pacific students are under-resourced (and sometimes mismanaged) with poor quality of teaching, offering limited subjects that would increase the chances of the students to get into tertiary education, instead offering easier vocational subjects. Furthermore, many of these vocational subjects may give a student enough NCEA credits, but in order to get into many tertiary institutions the credits need to be ranked, which many vocational subject credits are not. Dr Sharples states “But the point is: what can universities do to overcome the crisis? It is not good enough simply to blame schools.” Dr Sharples also said “Wananga have transformed Maori aspirations for tertiary education, by making courses easily accessible, and providing a kaupapa Maori learning environment. So will the universities respond, by stepping outside conventional thinking, and embracing new approaches?” A wananga is a type of tertiary education provider that provides education in a Maori cultural context. Yet mainstream New Zealand (and some Pacific people) are up in arms about it, saying it’s racist, it’s segregation etc. Those arguments only attempt to hide the differences between peoples. By trying to say we are all the same, we conceal the inequalities that do exist between people. There are structural inequalities inherent in our society that have many Maori and Pacific peoples starting at a disadvantage. This isn’t purely politicking, but it’s statistically evidenced. If you go to a high decile school the probability of gaining University Entrance is higher than a low decile school. Where do most Maori and Pacific people’s live? In low decile school areas. How is that fair, that just because you are born in a area that has crap schools, thereby affecting your probability of gaining a tertiary education? Again, from a mathematical point of view, ethnicity is the lowest common denominator when assessing on how to spread the limited public funds into education (and health etc). It’s not a permanent characteristic, but it’s the most effective way to target disadvantaged groups: through targeting ethnic groups that dominate the poor socio-economic statistics. Looking further ahead, with large youthful populations and higher fertility rates, Maori and Pacific people’s will make up the majority of the future workforce of Niu Sila. Statistically, if this future workforce is born of a community that continues to fail in many academic areas, we will have a poorly skilled, poorly equipped workforce. For the aging Palagi population, they should be worried. Statistically, they will make up the majority of the pensioner age group in the foreseeable future. The elderly population will need a productive highly skilled work force to keep paying the taxes that will pay for their pensions. If we were all born into families with the same level of wealth, attend the same quality of schools, given the same opportunities, then yes, then we can argue it’s an individuals own fault for not working hard enough to get into a tertiary institution. But that’s not reality. We do have poverty. We do have crap schools. We do have large concentrations of ethnic groups in low decile areas. There are a whole host of other reasons that should also be taken into consideration when we start criticising some-one for not ‘working hard enough’. Many Iunivesite’s do have programmes and scheme’s in place to assist disadvantaged groups with access into degrees and support services while studying. But most people only point out the ethnic schemes: Maori and Pacific Island entry quota’s. They don’t point to the mature student quota’s or the people with disabilities’ quota, or the women’s quota. These are all disadvantaged groups, that the Iunivesite’s have identified as having under-representation in doctors, lawyers, engineers etc. Many degrees have limited spaces. To limit the number of student’s entering the degree the Iunivesite artificially creates a cut-off point, for example to get into a law degree student’s must have a A- average. But that’s not to say a person with a B+ average is any less capable of completing that law degree than an A- student, it’s just that a line had to be drawn. In fact the Iunivesite o Aukilani has chopped and changed the entry level for Law school many times over the last few years. Therefore it is false to assume that students who enter a degree under a quota won’t be able to complete the degree. Quota’s aren’t an easy ride to getting a degree. It’s providing an opportunity to participate in tertiary education, acknowledging the societal inequalities that prevent many people from those disadvantaged groups of gaining entrance into the degrees. Once in, they still have to meet the same level of academic excellence as everyone else, they still have to pass the same exams everyone else sits, they still have to prove themselves just like everyone else. When a person graduates with a Iunivesite degree it’s because they earned it, bearing no consequence on the quality of that soon to be doctor or lawyer etc, since they all passed the same exams. Dr Sharples also stated “I also called for universities to meet Maori educational needs half way, by interweaving kaupapa Maori into their own strong European academic traditions to create win-win outcomes for Maori and non-Maori students alike. A New Zealand education for all citizens should draw on the strengths of both Maori and European traditions and pedagogy.” Doesn’t that sound like equality to you? So when Dr Sharples called for open access for Maori students into tertiary education it’s not an attempt to create inequalities but to redress the existing inequalities (amongst other measures). After all, our futures depend on it…
Independence Day 2009, wow! what an awesome experience - I have to say that from a nerdy samoan kid in Melbourne to walking in the Independence Parade is something I don’t think I could ever forget. My Indepence day celebrations had started 2 weeks ago, my boss had been part of the Independence Day Committee (organisers) and I was lucky to go along with her to Savaii to watch the pre-independence day fa’afiafiaga’s (or more like, the Audition before the big day). Savaii was something else!! I was a bit taken aback seeing as though it was my first time to Savaii and it was under work circumstances - let me tell you (and I truly believe Savaii is under-rated) IT IS SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL! FOR REALS!!! Our trek that morning (last monday) started on the Va’a usu, we had left @ 4.30am in the morning to meet the rest of the delegation of committee members - the boat ride wasn’t really much of an excitement, the half asleep, half hungry, half wanting a cigarette made the trip a bit more painful - but on the whole, it wasn’t as bad as I was led to believe (we were on the Lady Naomi). The hustle and bustle of Salelologa wasn’t as intense as Apia, on the touchdown, the two different attitudes of Upolu’ans and Savaiian’s were obvious, we were in cruise control mode here in Savaii. After taking a few photos of villages for the National Beautification Committee (the A’ai competition) Sonja (the boss lady) sped through the minimal traffic of Savaii en-route to Safotu. This village is what an Upolu village would have looked like 10 years ago (the beautiful part of 10 years ago). It was here that we were greeting by the village matai and the congregation of 300 men of the village ready for the performance of thier fa’afiafiaga. They had been notified of thier participation a week earlier, so the short notice was a bit of a worry for the committee, but we were proved wrong, they BROUGHT IT! the ta’ita’i of the fa’afiafiaga was this chubby guy who could move like no one’s business! There songs were the bomb and they were definately a worthy choice for participation. Next up, was Amoa College - we were being typical Samoans in the sense that we were 2 hours late after eating the food prepared by Safotu village (the tastiest Moa Samoa & the most colorful fish I’ve ever eaten) Amoa college were all wide-eyed and anxious, I started walking around taking photos of everyone singing, thier pese fa’aleaganu’u was in direct respect to the Head of State and the Ministers of the Cabinet as well as a swipe at the Right Hand Drive issue. (which upon feedback by the committee members, was to be removed) ARGH! there goes censorship again! haha.. They were the bomb though! We were then headed off to our last visit for the day, and that was the village of Tafua. Tafua was my favourite place and favourite village, thier welcoming and hospitality is what Samoa is all about. Upon arrival there were Niu’s and local fruit (see how the inclusion of food just made it my favourite) were all spread out. Thier pese faaleaganuu was so clear it sounded as if only one person was singing (at a massive volume). The surroundings of the Fale Samoa that they were performing in was breath-taking, the fale-samoa overlooked a basketball court that was framed by crystal clear turquoise colored ocean.. It was after this performance that the Fa’asamoa kicked in, the exchanging of money, ie toga’s and alaga povi’ and the whole shi-bang of the Samoan culture was on show. I was given an Ie Toga (LMFAO!) out of all the times I’ve seen this sort of thing happen, I swear to g.o.d that I never thought I would ever recieve an Ie toga.. out of a fa’aaloalo and respect by the village (and all I did was take photos and eat thier food) It felt awesome and at the same time, I felt like I still had SO much to learn and so much about the Aganu’u of Samoa that I needed to get a grasp on. So fast forward to the Actual Independence day!.. Monday morning @ 4.30am, Mulinuu was PACKED! buses, vans, trucks, walkers, tourists, food stalls, police - all with random uniforms walking side by side to Mulinu’u where the flag raising and the actual ’savali’ was to take place. In past years, I was told that the Savali started all the way from where the Kitano Tusitala hotel was, this year the parade was to begin at the Lands & Titles court and walk in front of the delegation tent. I had arrived in the Samoa Tourism Authority car with Gwen (Miss Samoa) and we were dropped off next to the V.I.P tent (I was to be Gwen’s chaperone for the event) as we walked up and quickly did a mirror check and ie faitaga check, we were seated behind Ministers of Ministries - and three rows behind the Head Of State and about 9 seats to our left was the PM of Samoa. The church service was held by a Methodist Faifeau (the most senior) and to some extent, it went on for ages! the sun was rising and our eyes were being blinded as we were seated facing the direct light of the sun. The Head of State delivered a powerful speech into the importance of Independence and what it signifies for all Samoans living in Samoa and also all of those who live overseas. He quoted Albert Wendt “We are what we remember” and thanked all that were present for waking up early and making the effort to be part of the celebrations (I held back tears because I was so hungry and I was half sleeping). Gwen was effortlessly cool and calm (pro!) and then the Camera’s came around (errr shame!) lmfao… The National Anthem was played by the Police Band (who have had recent upgrades to thier band instruments) and the RIFLES went off! woahhhhhh that was something else, it said on the program that it was a 25 rifle salute, but it felt like Canons under the marquee, every canon shot that went off, was felt on the inside - and for any unpatriotic member of the audience would have been converted during that time. And then the March began!… LMFAOOOO! (the Army, Navy, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts took the lead, I’m still unsure of where these army people came from, france or something like that?) I whispered to Gwen that we had to walk with the S.T.A banner, the government departments had a requirement to walk, so we had to leave our comfortable seats (JUST before the food was coming out! LOL) and walk gwen through the grassy outskirts to meet up with our S.T.A colleagues. We got there just in time, I took Gwens bag and Tiara holding case and told her I’ll hold it as I rushed her to walk in front of our banner. Gwen ran as fast as she could to the front our line, and I tried to find a place amongst the guys in the back.. As the march progressed, Gwens bag fell out of my hands and all of her stuff fell out, so I had to scramble to pick up everything while the line of our staff was moving (shux, talk about embarrassing) and mind you, Gwen’s bag was a bright PINK fala style thing.. So I quickly picked up everything and by that time I was the last in the line LMFAO… So I walked as if it was meant to be, everyone of us were in white, Gwen and I however were the only ones with Red Teuila Ula’s that were handed to us in the main marquee. We had to walk in front of these tents full of important Samoan figures and I was so dang shame that I didn’t even look at who they were.. We got in front of the Head of State and his wife, we all turned, and then I hear this “Ifo” - so everyone bowed, and since I was right at the back, I was the last to bow and just looked ridiculous - this bowing guy holding a pink bag and a tiara case LMFAO. Oh man! it was awesome, definately one of my proudest moments, just having the experience was worth the early morning start and the scrambling to walk in part with S.T.A. After the walk (and this is why I LOVE working in Samoa) we had the biggest breakfast - eggs, bacon, toast, corn beef, sapasui (samoan styleeeeeeee) choohooo!.. that for me, was like breathing new life!.. The rest of the day was hella fun, seeing the Savaii crews that were there was awesome, I felt like in some small way, I knew them.. I got home, and my next door neighbour was mocking me and my walk ! hahaha.. SHUX, Independence day was the Bomb - and if you ever get to experience it, its one of those ‘i feel awesome that I’m Samoan’ kind of moments!
The owner of Tropicana Nightclub and President of the Samoa Nightclub Association, Falanaipupu Dan Aiafi is calling on the Liquor Board to extend opening hours for nightclubs during the weekend, predominantly for Friday night, to help alleviate financial strain ahead of the Economic Stimulius Forum to be held on the 27th of March. Acknowledging the cultural importance of Sunday, he said Saturday closing time should remain the same (currently midnight). As far as Falanaipupu is aware, no nightclub has closed down as a result of the recession, however business has been slow during the week, the usually packed out venue is now seeing more floor space during the week and the crowds seem to be packing in only on the weekends. “Perhaps Government workers are on contract more these days and need to perform the next day at work” he speculated. Hmm, an intelligent reason, given that its a widely accepted fact that Government workers are spending Government money, time and resources at work being hungover from wild nights at Tropicana or their Nightclub of choice. The fact that he is asking for an opening time extension, a week before the forum seems to be a waste of time, if it is approved (which it hasn’t) he would have an extension of only one friday before the forum the following week. A bit late. And in no way would an extra 2 hours of Government workers drinking help stimulate an economy, if they banned Government workers from drinking, it might help productivity in the lazy offices of Apia and we might finally get somewhere.