Pacific education

The objective of this research was to investigate sex, sexuality and sexual relationships through the voices of young people in the Cook Islands (a small developing nation in the Pacific) to develop a contextually appropriate, needs-led, sexuality and relationships educational resource to be implemented by educators in the Cook Islands.

This research is underpinned by a Cook Islands research framework known as the Tivaevae Research Model (Maua-Hodges, 2001, 2016). The research unfolds as a metaphorical tivaevae (hand-made quilt) that represent young Cook Islanders’ views of gender, sex, sexuality, and relationships. The research sample consisted of 674 Cook Islanders who were aged between 15 and 24 years who answered 35 questions in the questionnaire, and 97 young people who participated in six focus groups. Participants were drawn from all population settlements throughout the Cook Islands and encompass more than 20% of the youth population.

Contribution is made to the literature on sexuality education by documenting young Cook Islanders’ sexual subjectivities and how these are shaped by dominant discourses that circulate within the Cook Islands. The research methods were designed to empower youth in the Cook Islands by using their knowledge and experiences of sex and sexuality education and to identify their perceived needs in these areas. The research project then utilises these findings to develop a needs-led Cook Islands sexuality and relationships education resource consisting of twenty lessons. Countries in the Pacific usually use educational resources developed on the ideas other countries perceive they have for such purposes; so development of such a resource has the potential to be useful for other Pacific nations. In an attempt to resist dominant medicalised approaches to sexuality education, the sex positive resource uses poststructural and cultural theoretical concepts to support young people in critiquing dominant discourses.

The research extends the understanding of the sexual subjectivity of young people in the Pacific as much literature related to sex and young Pacific people stems from a medical and / or sexual reproductive health lens. Therefore, the findings associated with young Cook Islanders’ conceptualisations of their sexual knowledge and sexual experiences are unique and reveal that non-monogamy, sexual violence and heteronormativity feature in young people’s sexual lives. 

This research therefore has important implications for the health and wellbeing of young people in the Pacific and the ways that they enact gender, sex, sexuality and relationships in their lives

Transforming Pacific learning, teaching and teacher education requires rethinking. This paper is premised on the ideal of educational reform focused on achieving sustainable Pacific societies. It offers a futures-thinking approach to the rethinking of quality Pacific education centralizing the role of the teacher and teacher education. At the core of this discussion are local approaches to teaching and learning and the significance of research in understanding and improving teacher performance. It argues that a review of teacher standards and attributes is necessary covering issues such as aptitude, literacies and competencies required for teaching in the 21 st Century Pacific. It is postulated that education for sustainable Pacific societies must begin with an education system that brings together the best of both worlds inclusive of mainstreaming western knowledge systems and philosophies and Pacific indigenous education ideologies and approaches. The onus will be on Teacher Education providers to ensure that the Pacific teacher is one who is confident in his or her identity, armed with the necessary set of values, attitudes and skills to be agents of change. A Pacific transformative learning theory is presented as an example of ways by which we may begin to rethink teacher preparedness as well as reconstruct what we assume to know about the way we teach and learn. Prelude Nelson Mandela is famously quoted as saying " Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. " Teachers and teacher educators the world over use this and other quotes as a source of inspiration to drive home the belief that education changes lives and liberates. Similarly in Pacific Teacher Education classrooms and online portals would-be teachers deliberate the functionality and liberal nature of education and the role of effective teachers. Each of these teachers-in-waiting aspires to be an inspirational role model for the hundreds of students who will journey through their classrooms. They share the collective belief that teacher education will provide the necessary competencies to be effective and inspiring. My life as a teacher and ongoing Talanoa with Pacific teachers and education students however, has provided increasingly awareness of the gaps that exist in Pacific Teacher Education. In fact, many Pacific teachers believe that they were ill-prepared for the realities and challenges of the school in their respective communities. This realization coupled with a growing awareness of the politics of Pacific education systems culminate in this paper. I bring to this Vaka Pasifiki Conference a humble offering, honouring the straight talk that the founders of RPEI began 15 years ago. I also offer a warning about the crooked thinking that we continue to battle and sometimes unknowingly perpetuate in our quest for effective teachers and improved educational outcomes.


Koya, C.F (2016). Straight Talk & Crooked Thinking: Transforming Pacific Learning, Teaching and Teacher Education as an Education for Sustainability Initiative, In Weaving Theory and Practice in Teacher Education in Oceania: Vaka Pasifiki 2 Conference Proceedings, Eds. Kabini Sanga, Toumu’a. R., & Johannson-Fua, J, Institute of Education, Tonga Campus, The University of the South Pacific.

Culture has for too long been marginalized in education and research. Pacific peoples including Fijians have been conditioned to believe that the formal education system and in particular basic education is primarily about subject-based learning for two main pathways (a) higher education or academia; and, (b) employment. This human resource perspective is one that is driven by the economic development worldview and does not take into consideration issues of sustainable living. The ultimate question we therefore to ask is as always: Education for what and whom? This presentation examines the need for the integration of culture and culturally inclusive curriculum in Fiji. It explores the idea of sustainable living as life skills based education grounded in resilience literacies designed specifically for Fiji. It concludes with a reflection on the possible development of an indigenous approach through an iTaukei Studies programme and a multicultual approach through a Fijian Studies programme in Fiji schools.

ABSTRACT Indigenous education within urban contexts is diverse within Oceania. Pacific peoples’ movements in the diaspora, including their educational journeys and responsibilities, are ongoing and fluid. This paper employs talanoa vā, an indigenous Pacific approach to understanding the negotiations of educational processes and practices in urban education contexts across the diaspora of Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, and Aotearoa-New Zealand. We utilize talanoa as a method of gathering narrative data based on transoceanic education experiences. We argue indigenous education within urban contexts in the diaspora is fluid yet dynamic. The continuous movement of people for improved life and education further emphasizes the diverse ways Moana communities mobilize their knowledges and practices as well as educational aspirations across multiple networks in the diaspora. Indigenous education therefore is context-specific, inclusive of the negotiations across time and space that enable the sense making of educational experiences that empower the next generation in Oceania.

Higher education is a site where diverse cultures and knowledges intersect. Engaging in complex conversations is necessary for educators and academics to confront and negotiate differences, especially in areas they may not be overly familiar with. Negotiating complex conversations is difficult, time consuming, risky, yet rewarding, particularly if shifts in the understanding or valuing of relational engagement and practice. In this article, as a Tongan teacher educator and Pāpālangi (of European heritage/s) educator, we critically reflect on our work in transforming learning and engagement contexts that predominantly ignore expressions of Pacific Indigenous knowledge and Tongan ways of being. Through our collaborative talatalanoa (ongoing conversations) we demonstrate the value of negotiating complex conversations in higher education and particular aspects to consider when instigating them.

Invited presentation at Health Promoting Schools Symposium, Linking Health Promoting Schools to Equitable and Sustainable Education: Providing Educational Excellence in the 21st Century”, Tanoa Plaza, Suva Fiji. October 20 – 21, 2011. Jointly organized by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and WHO.

Pacific people have survived in vulnerable environments for thousands of years. This collection documents Pacific notions of adaptation and survival. The articles portray how Pacific societies live the principles of ESD in their daily lives. "Continuity & Survival" provides an avenue for deeper understanding of Indigenous notions of education and sustainable living and development. This book is recommended as an avenue for mainstreaming ESD principles and practices relevant to the Pacific.

This paper focuses on the issue of national identity and culture. Its purpose is two-fold. Firstly, it explores the need for social learning through multicultural education in Pacific education systems. The discussion goes on to argue that an understanding of multiculturalism in education is important, given the increasingly diverse societies of PICs in the 21st century, as it enables children to see how diverse communities
(made up of many groups: religious, ethnic, etc.) can function through effective interaction and communication. It is based on the assumption that an education system which encapsulates social learning will ultimately better prepare students for their local and regional context as well as the globalised world into which they will soon emerge. Secondly, the paper discusses the use of a multiculturalist approach to curriculum development through the adoption of MC Ed, which could improve cross-cultural awareness and increased voluntary interaction through a better understanding of others in diverse communities.