Feedback on Pacific Language Framework

Due date: 30 September 2011

The second round of feedback is being sought by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. The Bilingual Pacific Leo Coalition made a submission on this important pIece of policy work earlier this year, we were disappointed that at the time MPIA had given a very tight turn around of 10 days. This second round of consultation has heard the plea from the communities for more time to consider our responses and we need to show we are ready to make recommendations based on our expertise.
We know that the coalition members all have experitse in their own areas, many of you are known as subject matter experts on your language, your culture and the industry you belong to. Please look at the framework in its current form and see where we can add value, value to any part of the entire document. You may want to recommend changes to the context of the entire document or just the specifics for your cultural action plan, either way the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs needs YOUR recommendations because if the community does not support these policy decisions then others can ignore the necessity for change.

HAVE YOUR SAY - YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT - YOUR VOICE SHOULD BE HEARD

Auckland 30 Year Plan

The submission period starts Tuesday 20 September and ends at 4pm on Tuesday 25 October, 2011.

The Pacific peoples advisory panel initiated consultation with Pacific communities across Auckland earlier this year, the coalition members attended all these meetings. The consultation included the voice of our youth, an important youth because the youth of today will be measuring the outcomes contained within this plan. If our youth are still having the same arguments with local council that we have today then we have failed. Actively seeking the youth voice puts the challenge firmly in their court. Now that the 30 Year Plan draft has been released seek it out, read it and make recommendations. Pacific peoples are recognised within the document, we therefore have a responsibility to the 30 Year Plan.

Auckland Council will have displays at various locations where your questions about the plans can be answered. A full schedule of dates and venues is at

www.theaucklandplan.govt.nz

Pacific Literacy And Language Petition Submissions
Submit by 7th October, 2011

Petition 2008/139 of Judy Taligalu McFall-McCaffery & John McCaffery and 6686 otheRS -

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE SIGNED THE PETITION TO MAKE A SUBMISSION. ANYONE CAN MAKE A SUBMISSION.
• Submissions by Organisations and Groups carry weight - so do Families, Children, Schools, Churches
• YOUR SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENT IS NEEDED NOW - Ask to be heard by the Select Committee to speak to your key points submission you are sending in.

If enough submissions come from AUCKLAND the Select Committee will come to AUCKLAND as well as Wellington -
NZ citizens in the Islands Realm of NZ (Cooks Niue and Tokelau) can make submissions also.
• Write down the key points of what you wish to say is important for our fanau in your submission to fit in one A4 page. This needs to be typed and sent in before the 7th October, 2011. Put evidence or research on a second page if available.
• Ensure you put the Petition Number and Name on your email and submission

Petition 2008/139 of Judy Taligalu McFall-McCaffery & John McCaffery and 6686 others

• Submissions can be emailed or posted
Email . john.thomson@parliament.govt.nz Clerk of the Education & Science Committee,

Or post to:

John Thomson,
Clerk of the Education & Science Committee,
Parliament Buildings,
Wellington
• Encourage others to put in a submission – You could help them write it or translate it for them – Could be bilingual in English first and translation in our family languages after that.
• Keep a copy of your submission and prepare your list written down of what you want to say under each point so we are ready for the hearing.
• You can also send a copy to the coalition's email address, pacific.leo@hotmail.com.
• For your information this is the wording of the Petition which we all signed. The petition requests:

"That the House urge the Government to introduce and fully fund Pacific languages literacy and English literacy development through bilingual education programmes for Pacific students in order to: raise students academic achievement, maintain and revive Pacific languages, and make the programmes readily available on an optional basis to Pacific families and communities in English and the five main Pacific languages of New Zealand; Cook Island Maori, Vagahau Niue, Tokelau, Samoan, Tongan."

Below is background information to help with your submission:
• Currently we already have 33 Bilingual units in primary schools: Three Tongan, Two Cook Island (Tokoroa), and 30 Samoan most in Auckland. We look forward to Tokelau and Niue bilingual programmes. We have 110 ECE Pacific language centres but this Petition is about primary school programmes that need to follow on from ECE.
• All the extra costs of running these primary school bilingual units are currently paid for by the schools and communities ourselves.That is we are allowed to do it IF WE PAY THE COSTS OF DOING SO
• Bilingual Education is where our languages are used for at least 50% of all school time ( day week year) as mediums for instruction to teach other curriculum subjects like Music Art PE Technology Health Maths Science Reading Writing...that is the subject is taught through using our Pacific languages and English. LESS THAN 50% PACIFIC LANGUAGE USE IS NOT BILINGUAL EDUCATION. It is an ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME
• It is not about teaching languages as subjects in 45 minute slots as in the Learning Languages Curriculum Area of the NZ Curriculum . This is an ineffective method of learning languages and raising academic achievement and maintaining or reviving languages.
• All forms of two languages and one language use including immersion education come under the professional fields of Bilingual Education- The term Bilingual Education DOES NOT mean we have to use two languages in ECE. Bilingual Education is the professional and academic field of research and study. And includes all immersion education approaches and programmes.
• The NZ Ministry of Education cut The TUPU and FOLAUGA reading materials for our children WHO ALREADY UNDERSTAND and SPEAK a PACIFIC LANGUAGE. It has replaced them with materials designed only for beginner learners.
• Literacy and academic achievement in both languages - English and our family & community languages is our goal.
• Only Bilingual Education in partnership with families and communities has a proven international track record of being able to -
1. Raise minority students academic achievement and
2. Maintain and or revive minority language
3. Support family and community efforts to maintain and revive languages. We need both schools and communities /homes to work together in partnership.
Your School’s, family and children’s experiences are very valuable, tell them about this, especially Bilingual Units / schools programmes.

Let us change the course of history this time around.
Prepare your submission now and make sure you send it in before the 7th of October.

If you have any questions regarding your submission do get back to the Bilingual Leo Pacific Coalition at
pacific.leo@hotmail.com

Meeting with Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
The executive was invited to meet with the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Dr Colin Tukuitonga. The meeting was an open forum to raise any issues either side had. First and foremost the coalition would like to thank Dr Tukuitonga for making time available in his busy calendar, although Auckland traffic and other issues delayed his arrival our session was not rushed and the coalition executive had the opportunity to discuss issues fully.

The coalition is an advocacy group and as such we will push the full Pacific language agenda whenever and whereever it is appropriate, that was never in question. Our group has received assurances that lines of communication between both Dr Tukuitonga and MPIA staff will be available to us and in return we will also endeavour to improve our own communications strategy. Communication is important to ensure that the Pacific languages are not lost, and also to improve consultation processes to our coalition members and ultimately our Pacific commuinities.The coalition is not seeking special treatment here we are offering access to a broader community of Pacific expertise.

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is an important tool for the Pacific Languages because without the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs we have no opportunity to initate Pacific Langauge policy, without policy we do not have any consistent method of measuring the success of any and all Pacific language strategies across government.

Membership Drive

We have been requesting confirmation of your membership. As the mail chimp has been inactive the last two months I thought I would restart the process. We want to streamline our communications and will be looking at how we can personalise the mailchimp to your requirements. We thank those of you who have responded to the request.

General Member:
You will receive regular newsletters and be advised of upcoming events held by the Bilingual Pacific Leo Coalition.

Executive Member:
You will be invited to executive meetings and can take part in the decision making for the coalition.

Organisation Member:
This category is for organisations that support the Bilingual Pacific Leo Coalition. An organisation that is a member must also nominate their organisation's executive representative.

Kaumatua:
This category is to provide the coalition with cultural support and advice. Nominations are being sought to cover the different ethnicities and locations.

ENDS

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