Empowering our Pasifika students to succeed
Sunday 17 June 2007, 5:42PM
By Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Speech
699 views
You must have the courage to face a major challenge, the courage to change, the courage to learn, the courage to succeed.
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E'e ta'ia le paia lasilasi i le fa'atäfafä o le maota. Susuga i le Aufaigaluega a le Atua Afioga i Tamali'i ma failauga, Faletua ma Tausi, Tama'ita'i ma Sa'oao mai atumotu o le Pasifika. Fa'amälö le soifua lelei.
Tena koutou katoa o te tangata whenua o Aotearoa. Malo e lelei. Fakalofa lahi atu. Taloha ni, Kia orana, Ni sa bula vinaka, welkom olgeta, and warm Pacific Greetings to you all.
Thank you Principal Linda Fox, Board of Trustees Chairperson Mr James Prescott, Pasifika Dean Rosemary Mose, Louisa Magasiva and teachers, parents, families, community representatives and most importantly - students.
Thank you for inviting me. I feel humbled and honoured to be speaking at Kelston Girls College Pasifika Fono. Today I would like to speak about the importance of education for our Pacific children in New Zealand.
But first I want to honour the parents. You have a hard job but an important job - the most important job: to raise your children, provide them with a set of values that will see them through their lives, to support them as the grow and develop, and then trust them to make their own decisions in life.
I think the hardest part of being a parent is letting you children grow and go.
Parents can do that with confidence if they have provided their children with a clear set of values.
Pacific Island people have particular set of cultural values. These values have been passed down by our ancestors through our families and our communities.
As a Samoan, I know my community is based on families and extended families. The Samoan words are aiga, aigapotopoto.
Our community in turn is based on the Samoan values of alofa, fa'aaloalo, and agaga. Love, respect, reciprocity and spirituality. These values are demonstrated through tautua - service.
I know that our other Pacific Island communities are based on similar values. Maori have similar values, and each of the cultures represented here today, Scottish, Irish, English, Indian, Chinese, all of you have similar values and cultural practices. For those that have lost them you must re-discover and celebrate your cultural values.
Like many Pacific Islanders, my parents left their homes, families and country to come to New Zealand and provide their children with education and opportunity. They worked hard so that we could succeed.
Theirs was the immigrant's dream. A dream that is shared by all who have come to this land. They wanted to be part of this nation, to participate as equals in this society.
The success of our generation of New Zealanders is our parent's and grandparent's legacy. We are grateful to our elders for their contribution and the sacrifices they made to make this nation a wonderful place for us to live.
My parent's generation understood the importance of education. And they worked hard so that we could have the education that they, as immigrants, had missed.
Let me talk a little more about the importance of education for young Pacific people.
I will start with my school days.
I completed my schooling at Erskine College, a Catholic Girl's school that was in Island Bay, but has been closed for some years. My favourite subject at school was History.
One of the teachers that had a great influence on me was my history teacher - Mother Pabst.
Mother Pabst was the first woman in New Zealand to gain a doctorate in Law. She was a brilliant woman who could have had any job she wanted but she chose to teach at a girl's school.
She made a difficult but a wise choice. Her choice was to devote her life to the education of young women, at a time when the education of women was not highly valued.
I learnt many lessons from Mother Pabst that I have taken with me through my life.
She taught me respect. She taught me that women can do anything they set their minds to. She taught me that education requires hard work. And I also learnt that the attitude of all the family to education makes a big difference.
Parents and teachers need to work closely together to ensure that the best programme is put in place for each student. There needs to be a partnership between school and home.
Our Pacific children require structure, discipline, clear direction and regular support to keep them motivated and working well. A balanced programme with academic work, music, physical activity, and spiritual education is required for the development of our young people.
Let me acknowledge the hard work of the staff of Kelson Girl's College, the teachers and all those that contribute to the running of this college.
This school has a fine history and many students of Kelston Girl's College, have gone on to become great achievers in many areas of endeavour: sports, the law, the arts, medicine, education and science. Others have contributed to Maori and Pacific cultures.
Many have raised wonderful families.
One point I want to make to every student here, is that students from Kelston Girl's College have done everything and can do anything.
Examples of this are everywhere:
- I understand you have a 'high motivation class' for high achieving students;
- Special Year 10 classes focussing on 'Pacific Nations' and learning Te Reo;
- The Gateway programme which provides students with the opportunity to gain work experience while studying for NCEA;
- There is a high performance sports academy for students participating at the elite level;
- There are regular fono to inspire, share successes, network and encourage the other to strive;
- And, above all else this school believes in you, and what you can achieve.
Speaking of achievements, I understand that there have been a number of recently:
- the Niuean culture group came first overall at the Pacific Island Festival in Term One;
- the Tongan cultural group performed for the first time in a number of years and came 1st in their section;
- Kelston won the Auckland Secondary School Kilikiti competition this year;
- And that Grace Fusitu'a, Tracey Ta'atiti and Toatasi Jeremia are your athletic champions for this year.
The greatest part of festivals and sporting events like these is the participating. And you have such terrific support from teachers and your families - you are lucky to have Rosemary Mose as your Pasifika Dean.
In Tongan you would say O le va'a ua mafa tautai - the boat - or Kelston Girls - is full of experienced captains.
60% of New Zealand's Pasifika community was born in New Zealand and that population is young. You make up part of this 60%.
I can tell you are wondering what this means? It means the future of New Zealand is in your hands!
Your preparation begins here take the opportunities to learn. Smart leaders take opportunities - Kelston Girls College is an opportunity.
Today, young women have a growing roster of female role models to look toward.
Prime Minister Helen Clark is one of only a small handful of internationally respected women leaders in the whole world - and she is your Prime Minister.
Valerie Vilie, Beatrice Faumuina are household names and good pacific sporting and dancing role models, and look no further than the girls here this evening as an example of youth leadership.
Your Deputy Head Girl Tina Fiaalii-Mafuolo, prefects Matalaoa Salevao, Nessa Anau, Falesiu Ve'a, Faigafale Afaese, and senior students who helped out with this Fono: Nancy Ofanoa, Rachelitta Tominiko, Fofoaivaoese Faulafo, Ursula Frost and Jacinta Mose.
Such was not the case in the 1950s when I was your age.
The history of your school demonstrates that young people, just like you, who have started their education at Kelston Heart Girl's College, have gone on to make a name for themselves, their families and their community.
Young people who have been successful are my heroes. And their parents can share in that success.
You encourage me - because you are our future.
But it is not always easy. Success does not come without hard work.
Sometimes it is easier to do nothing, to let things happen, to just cruise along. But you must have the courage to face a major challenge, the courage to change, the courage to learn, the courage to succeed.
I encourage you all to keep up your study. Think of where you want to be in five or ten years time. Plan and train for that future but enjoy today - have fun.
In conclusion, remember New Zealand is a Pacific nation, and all New Zealanders are children of the Pacific.
Finally, let me read you a poem that celebrates all the young women of Kelson Girl's College and their parents and teachers that support them.
Children of the Pacific.
We, the children of the Pacific are strong.
We gain our strength from our ancestors,
our extended families and our places of belonging.
We do not stand alone.
We gain our strength from our cultures,
our Pacific Island languages,
our stories, our art and our traditions.
They shape our past, our present and our future.
We also gain our strength from the sacred waters of the Pacific.
The ocean birthed us and our many islands,
she sustains and connects us together.
We the children of the Pacific are strong.
One people, our family, the Pacific.
Ia manuia lava. Soifua.
---------------------------------
E'e ta'ia le paia lasilasi i le fa'atäfafä o le maota. Susuga i le Aufaigaluega a le Atua Afioga i Tamali'i ma failauga, Faletua ma Tausi, Tama'ita'i ma Sa'oao mai atumotu o le Pasifika. Fa'amälö le soifua lelei.
Tena koutou katoa o te tangata whenua o Aotearoa. Malo e lelei. Fakalofa lahi atu. Taloha ni, Kia orana, Ni sa bula vinaka, welkom olgeta, and warm Pacific Greetings to you all.
Thank you Principal Linda Fox, Board of Trustees Chairperson Mr James Prescott, Pasifika Dean Rosemary Mose, Louisa Magasiva and teachers, parents, families, community representatives and most importantly - students.
Thank you for inviting me. I feel humbled and honoured to be speaking at Kelston Girls College Pasifika Fono. Today I would like to speak about the importance of education for our Pacific children in New Zealand.
But first I want to honour the parents. You have a hard job but an important job - the most important job: to raise your children, provide them with a set of values that will see them through their lives, to support them as the grow and develop, and then trust them to make their own decisions in life.
I think the hardest part of being a parent is letting you children grow and go.
Parents can do that with confidence if they have provided their children with a clear set of values.
Pacific Island people have particular set of cultural values. These values have been passed down by our ancestors through our families and our communities.
As a Samoan, I know my community is based on families and extended families. The Samoan words are aiga, aigapotopoto.
Our community in turn is based on the Samoan values of alofa, fa'aaloalo, and agaga. Love, respect, reciprocity and spirituality. These values are demonstrated through tautua - service.
I know that our other Pacific Island communities are based on similar values. Maori have similar values, and each of the cultures represented here today, Scottish, Irish, English, Indian, Chinese, all of you have similar values and cultural practices. For those that have lost them you must re-discover and celebrate your cultural values.
Like many Pacific Islanders, my parents left their homes, families and country to come to New Zealand and provide their children with education and opportunity. They worked hard so that we could succeed.
Theirs was the immigrant's dream. A dream that is shared by all who have come to this land. They wanted to be part of this nation, to participate as equals in this society.
The success of our generation of New Zealanders is our parent's and grandparent's legacy. We are grateful to our elders for their contribution and the sacrifices they made to make this nation a wonderful place for us to live.
My parent's generation understood the importance of education. And they worked hard so that we could have the education that they, as immigrants, had missed.
Let me talk a little more about the importance of education for young Pacific people.
I will start with my school days.
I completed my schooling at Erskine College, a Catholic Girl's school that was in Island Bay, but has been closed for some years. My favourite subject at school was History.
One of the teachers that had a great influence on me was my history teacher - Mother Pabst.
Mother Pabst was the first woman in New Zealand to gain a doctorate in Law. She was a brilliant woman who could have had any job she wanted but she chose to teach at a girl's school.
She made a difficult but a wise choice. Her choice was to devote her life to the education of young women, at a time when the education of women was not highly valued.
I learnt many lessons from Mother Pabst that I have taken with me through my life.
She taught me respect. She taught me that women can do anything they set their minds to. She taught me that education requires hard work. And I also learnt that the attitude of all the family to education makes a big difference.
Parents and teachers need to work closely together to ensure that the best programme is put in place for each student. There needs to be a partnership between school and home.
Our Pacific children require structure, discipline, clear direction and regular support to keep them motivated and working well. A balanced programme with academic work, music, physical activity, and spiritual education is required for the development of our young people.
Let me acknowledge the hard work of the staff of Kelson Girl's College, the teachers and all those that contribute to the running of this college.
This school has a fine history and many students of Kelston Girl's College, have gone on to become great achievers in many areas of endeavour: sports, the law, the arts, medicine, education and science. Others have contributed to Maori and Pacific cultures.
Many have raised wonderful families.
One point I want to make to every student here, is that students from Kelston Girl's College have done everything and can do anything.
Examples of this are everywhere:
- I understand you have a 'high motivation class' for high achieving students;
- Special Year 10 classes focussing on 'Pacific Nations' and learning Te Reo;
- The Gateway programme which provides students with the opportunity to gain work experience while studying for NCEA;
- There is a high performance sports academy for students participating at the elite level;
- There are regular fono to inspire, share successes, network and encourage the other to strive;
- And, above all else this school believes in you, and what you can achieve.
Speaking of achievements, I understand that there have been a number of recently:
- the Niuean culture group came first overall at the Pacific Island Festival in Term One;
- the Tongan cultural group performed for the first time in a number of years and came 1st in their section;
- Kelston won the Auckland Secondary School Kilikiti competition this year;
- And that Grace Fusitu'a, Tracey Ta'atiti and Toatasi Jeremia are your athletic champions for this year.
The greatest part of festivals and sporting events like these is the participating. And you have such terrific support from teachers and your families - you are lucky to have Rosemary Mose as your Pasifika Dean.
In Tongan you would say O le va'a ua mafa tautai - the boat - or Kelston Girls - is full of experienced captains.
60% of New Zealand's Pasifika community was born in New Zealand and that population is young. You make up part of this 60%.
I can tell you are wondering what this means? It means the future of New Zealand is in your hands!
Your preparation begins here take the opportunities to learn. Smart leaders take opportunities - Kelston Girls College is an opportunity.
Today, young women have a growing roster of female role models to look toward.
Prime Minister Helen Clark is one of only a small handful of internationally respected women leaders in the whole world - and she is your Prime Minister.
Valerie Vilie, Beatrice Faumuina are household names and good pacific sporting and dancing role models, and look no further than the girls here this evening as an example of youth leadership.
Your Deputy Head Girl Tina Fiaalii-Mafuolo, prefects Matalaoa Salevao, Nessa Anau, Falesiu Ve'a, Faigafale Afaese, and senior students who helped out with this Fono: Nancy Ofanoa, Rachelitta Tominiko, Fofoaivaoese Faulafo, Ursula Frost and Jacinta Mose.
Such was not the case in the 1950s when I was your age.
The history of your school demonstrates that young people, just like you, who have started their education at Kelston Heart Girl's College, have gone on to make a name for themselves, their families and their community.
Young people who have been successful are my heroes. And their parents can share in that success.
You encourage me - because you are our future.
But it is not always easy. Success does not come without hard work.
Sometimes it is easier to do nothing, to let things happen, to just cruise along. But you must have the courage to face a major challenge, the courage to change, the courage to learn, the courage to succeed.
I encourage you all to keep up your study. Think of where you want to be in five or ten years time. Plan and train for that future but enjoy today - have fun.
In conclusion, remember New Zealand is a Pacific nation, and all New Zealanders are children of the Pacific.
Finally, let me read you a poem that celebrates all the young women of Kelson Girl's College and their parents and teachers that support them.
Children of the Pacific.
We, the children of the Pacific are strong.
We gain our strength from our ancestors,
our extended families and our places of belonging.
We do not stand alone.
We gain our strength from our cultures,
our Pacific Island languages,
our stories, our art and our traditions.
They shape our past, our present and our future.
We also gain our strength from the sacred waters of the Pacific.
The ocean birthed us and our many islands,
she sustains and connects us together.
We the children of the Pacific are strong.
One people, our family, the Pacific.
Ia manuia lava. Soifua.