values in the new zealand curriculum - Ministry of Education

(AIMHI) project, which Hawk and Hill have independently examined. In both the study and
the project, the concern was to examine and develop strategies that mediate conflicting
values that may arise between family/aiga, church, peer groups, and the world of work,
and the schooling context of Pacifica students (Coxon et al., 2002, p. 82). It was
suggested that a first step to addressing this gap, would be to ensure that there were more
Pacific Island teachers within schools. Pasikale (1999) also argues that all teachers must
first value empathy when addressing the individual learning needs of Pacific students in
order to develop appropriate learning experiences for all. In particular, empathy should be
used to check teachers’ use of categorical or one-dimensional definitions of Pacific
learners (cited in Coxon et al., 2002). Vaioleti (2001) argues that Pacifica students’ value
this affective approach to learning, where students will first evaluate whether the teacher
likes them, and secondly, whether the classroom learning has relevance to their lives.
Part of this empathy and relevance is communicated through the role that the teacher
takes as “model, guide and expert” (p. 8). The tuakana/teina relation is more likely to be
supported by these ways of relating.
Language and culture together communicate knowledge. In most New Zealand schools,
English remains the dominant language of learning. In Anae’s (2001) study with second
generation Samoan, most could not use their language, but most could understand it.
Language was regarded as an assignation of Samoan identity and/or fia palagi
accusations. However, most reported that the most important aspect of culture was being
able to communicate through beliefs, values and ways of doing things as New Zealandborn
Samoan. For the Cook Island Māori born in New Zealand (Underhill-Sem and
Fitzgerald, 1996), 43% (of a small sample of 50) reported that they could speak the
language with various levels of fluency, but most reported that they did not speak Cook
Island Māori. While most spoke English at home, the Cook Island Māori language was
spoken when engaged in specific contexts, particularly at Church. Churches are important
places where many Pacifica peoples not only hear their languages spoken, but find their
cultural values spoken and alive within their Church communities within Aotearoa, and in
relation to their connections through genealogy and to the homeland.
Values are communicated (in part) through language and constitute culture. The Palagi
educational system privileges many individualised values. In most Palagi classrooms, the
written language dominates both within the classroom, in what is produced for
Values in the New Zealand Curriculum: A Literature Review 41