| Summary: | This thesis is a retrospective review and analysis of the processes and information gathered
and used by the Ministry of Education in its development of Pasifika education strategic
plans from 1993 to 2009.
This is a high level strategic analysis, adopting interdisciplinary approaches from across the
social sciences particularly from education, public policy and management, and Pacific
studies. It draws on information gathered by the Ministry of Education through talanoa ako
(consultation), ngaahi fekumi (literature review) and ngaahi ngāue (policy stocktake), to
review whether Pasifika strategic plan development met Pasifika and non-Pasifika
requirements; fulfilled authorising environments’ expectations; created public value and
leadership across the education sector; and, identified what worked and why.
The thesis draws upon Tongan and Pasifika values and methodologies and demonstrates
how these integrate and create value across Pasifika and non-Pasifika worlds, using tools
specifically created to address the methodological challenges in this thesis.
The thesis finds that it is important to formulate Pasifika strategic plans with Pasifika
communities, and that the Pasifika Education Plans worked in focusing the Ministry of
Education and consequently the education sector on Pasifika students, parents, families and
communities’ education expectations and aspirations. Keys to successful Pasifika education
plan formulation included engaging Pasifika students, parents, families and communities in
education discourses; improving the education workforce’s responses to Pasifika peoples;
placing Pasifika learners at the centre of pedagogy and epistemology; faster scaling up of
what worked in raising participation, engagement and achievement; and, having more
choice for Pasifika communities to realise their education potential and exercise their voice
at all levels of education governance and decision making.
It identifies the successful coordinating factor to be the growing of champions and leaders
within the Ministry of Education, Pasifika communities and in the education sector to lead
and sustain change through ownership, responsibility, accountability and monitoring for
Pasifika success.
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