- The targeted audience and recipients of these education policies need to regularly updated to ensure that their needs are being met. Also, with the progress of status advancement in regards to parents and guardians becoming more aware of expectations required of students so too must the policies reflect that Pasfika people are more informed then before.
- It must be realised that although a majority of Pasifika fall under the general stereotype that there is an increasing number of students that do not. If they are being pushed aside and regarded as already successful in having mastered the Western paradigm of education that too is detrimental and could create further conflicts.
- The concept of success need to be further analysed and broadened, not for the benefits of inclusion but rather acknowledgement that it is not a rigid definition that therefore is exclusive to others.
- Regular monitoring of policy implementations at a regular and appropriate time span that will allow for decent results. The ways of monitoring and parties that monitor the policies is also important and must be qualified.
- Regular meetings with students of high school and tertiary levels across all Pasifika groups in even group numbers, and across all regions (suburbs and cities). The importance of knowing whether there are positive results occurring because the gap between recipients of policies and government that make policies are distant.
- Parents, communities and all those involved in a students life; they are very much a necessary part of the equation. Parent need to be kept on board and teacher-parent interactions need to be worked on constantly to ensure that forms of communication are transparent.
- The funding for quality resources and teachers that are trained, qualified and culturally aware (as well as Pacific staff and mentors) is so vital for students and their learning.
- Mentoring programmes should begin at a younger age; at 3rd form level would be appropriate with small doses. By doing this students get into the habit of realising that help does exist, the way in which they use these human resources will impact their studies and create a sense of confidence. Also, ‘Island Time’ is always looked down upon by the West, however, what it means is everything in good time-by introducing mentoring facilities early students will have more time to think about their future after high school.
- Language implementation into school curriculum; this is an important indicator for students to know that their cultural identity is valued and can be acknowledged in an educational setting. On that note Te Reo should be enforced all the way through high school and Pasifika languages should also be offered as a subject option.
- Career Advisors need to be monitored and assessed that the information they are giving students is applicable and is not influenced by their own biases.
- If the idea that Dr.Pita Sharples proposed in regards to Maori entering tertiary level through a special course were available to Pasifika it should be denied until further research has been done. The variables and inconsistencies that it would further create and bring with the barriers that are already in existent is troublesome. The issue as it may be argued is not a case of ‘failure’ ethnicity but the need to look at learning styles because the NCEA education system as it stands caters for the majority and it just so happens that Pasifika students are lagging behind other students.
Policy Impacts
Final Note
