Literature review (THE BIG IDEA: GOOD, FALL, RESTORATION)
Many qualitative and quantitative researches have been carried out to understand the performance of Pacific students at tertiary institutions, particularly at universities in Australia and New Zealand. Much of the data was collected on Polynesian Pacific students studying in those two countries. However, Pacific students covered a much broader scope than Polynesia. They (Pacific students) came from three major divisions of the pacific, namely Melanesia (eg. Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu) Polynesia (eg. Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands) and Micronesian (eg. Kiribati, Niue). Studies done on Polynesia had some common themes that can be extrapolated into understanding Melanesia and Micronesian university students. However, each group is unique, complex and diverse within itself.
Pacific university students have been described by many of the published literature as marginalised, low performance, underrepresented and were in the minority. This gap has been recognised and addressed by the governments of both of these countries.
This paper reviews the results and findings of previous research, which were conducted through different research and data gathering methodologies, and which focus on the aim of this paper, that is, to get a new perspective on the current situation of Pasifika students in tertiary education and what comes to them after completing this education level. This paper aims to determine if they were marginalized, as most research indicate, or if this reasoning is used only as justification for their predicament.
The Government’s policy initiatives designed to reduce the “gaps” are directed at
improving social and educational opportunities, in the widest sense, for low socioeconomic
communities, in order to bring them closer to the levels of well-being enjoyed
Furthermore, institutional resources have been directed to assessing and understanding the learning and social needs of Asian students rather than students from less economically or politically significant nations, such as those in the Pacific (Pakoa, 2009). In spite of this, we must continue to strive and search for more data in this field because the minority are increasing in number.Research must seek to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about tertiary Pacific students.
Since Pacific Island students are accustomed to the education system where they came from, being in another system, especially the Australia and New Zealand system, would be quite challenging for them (Tikly, L., 2005). A comparison in the difference of the level of education they have and not had is at times laughable to them (Ferrier, F., 2006). Thus, whenever the Pasifika students came in to the tertiary level, doubt and indifference can be seen, resulting in their disadvantage. This is due to their different learning styles, the relevance and interest in the curriculum, the western pedagogies, and the teachers’ lack of understanding their needs (Scull, S &Cuthill, M., 2010.)
The Wantok system is duly defined as a “distinct cultural and resource controlling ideological groupings that connect pre-contact and post colonial periods. It also includes artificial wantok political units established by legislative processes like wards, provinces and constituencies. The term means depending on the context and circumstances under which it is used” (International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2005, p. 11.)
This term is important due to the fact that it paves the way for studying the patterns of the relationship and the identity of an individual towards the scope of the place where they lived during their life. Its implication for research is that Pacific Island students are close to their family, based on their rural economic status and living. They tend to live in small communities; thus, they most likely know each other well. As such, saying that the wantok-system acts as a safety net could be a double-edged topic for debate.
In this regard, it can be said that the system is corrupt from a political perspective. The underprivileged family does not get any direct form of support, be it financial or economical. As shown by the study of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (2005, p. 11), the wantok system is undermining the equitable distribution of aid funds. Such aid funds include educational programs for the individual who has the potential to study in universities. An empirical study by Svensson (2000) found that aid-related corruption is worst in countries that are ethnically heterogeneous, such as those in Melanesia.
Saying that it is a safety net is a vague way to encourage Melanesians. The system is in itself self-destructing, yet accommodating to the students who benefit from it. Although it can mean an educational attainment for some, it can be a step back for others.
Fiona P and Michael Cuthill said that Pacific students appeared to struggle the most with their academic program. Their ability to meet the academic expectations of the university appeared to be constrained, not by ability, but by their inability to cope with the competing academic, cultural and social demands. Over a four year period (2001 – 2004) the Melanesian students, in comparison to the international student cohort and those students from the Pacific islands, achieved lower student performance units and lower grade point averages. (Pakoa, 2009 and Cuthill and Scull, 2011)
Education is getting more and more expensive over time. This is why the socio- economic status is an important factor that Pacific Island students’ families should take into consideration when it comes to education achievements (Scull, S &Cuthill, M., 2010.). For some rural and isolated people, the effects of socio-economic status are significantly heightened by the additional costs of attending university.
Achieving higher education for Pacific Island students is of great importance in their home countries, as it is well regarded within their community. It also plays an important role in obtaining a good job and having a successful life (Scull, S &Cuthill, M., 2010.) In an interview excerpt, a student says, “I feel like university gives you an opportunity, it’s like a ticket, like if you get to university that’s your ticket into wherever you want to go or whatever you want to do” (Scull, S. & Cuthill, M., 2010.) They have much to prove when they go back home, and just by getting that education, they inculcate it in their minds that it is their only way of contributing to the success for everyone around them.
There is no denying the importance of this level of education to them. A study conducted with 540 students from different Auckland schools (261 are from New Zealand and were European; 88 were Maori; 97 were Pacific Islanders; and 94 were Asian) showed that at the beginning of the year, based on their reading achievements, the ethnic groups (Non-New Zealand), they were all at the same level, yet by the end of the year, the Maori students had the least gain among the group (British Journal of Educational Psychology, 2006, p. 429-444.)
The findings of this study can be related back to the family upbringing of these students where the teachers in their area are like a second family to them. In this regard, it is clear within the parameters of the study that despite their ethnic upbringing (Scull, S &Cuthill, M., 2010), the learning opportunities are within their reach and that they can make the same achievements as the Asian and European students. This shows that the teachers’ expectations and judgment are variable, depending on what they need in their life.
Pacific students came to study in Australian universities with their unique cultures. As such, cultures and other factors must be understood properly in order to assist the students’ with their performance and to shift the attention of teachers from negative and deficit explanations of Pacific student achievement to a focus on exemplars of success (Chu etal, 2013). These factors can be grouped into time management, family obligations, and discipline.
As for Australia, while the United Nations pushes countries to implement the “Education for Sustainable Development,” critical challenges still stand in the way. According to UNESCO (2009), the level of education dictates the differences in the emphasis on the learning goals, which include acting with respect to others, acting with responsibility locally and globally, critical thinking, understanding inter-disciplinary relations, responsible behavior and the ability to identify and clarify values. How do these even apply to the literature as a whole?
Recalling Cuthill’s study, it was found that Pacific students do achieve good academic outcomes at school while they more generally excel in areas such as sport, art, music, and dance (Cuthill & Scull, 2011.) These positive outcomes are the main highlights on why Education for Sustainable Development can be directly interspersed with the Australian Education. It would be more inclusive and non-discriminating. The professors or instructors would become more well-rounded with their approach to these Pacific students. Their assumption of the students not being well educated and being disadvantaged could be taken into consideration as most of their talents and skill are inclined towards the extra-curricular activities. In this regard, it may be do well to immerse them in the fields they like while maintaining the academic excellence that they still need.
As Stephens (2008) contends, universities are important agents for social change because throughout history, they have played critical roles in broad societal changes (Stephens, et al., 2008, p. 317.). In this context, having more Pacific Island students who can easily be seen as an integral part of developing education would imply that change should be addressed and that inclusiveness should be promoted.
They might not get the job they are looking for due to preferential treatment and the lingering fact, they must make their family back home proud as what they have accomplished. This simple yet totally complicated stage of their life is how it built (UNESCO, 2009).
References
Tikly, L. (2005). The ethnic minority achievement grant: a critical analysis. Journal of Education Policy 20, no. 3: 283-312.
Ferrier, F. (2006). A review of higher education equity research in Australia 2000–2005. Melbourne, Victoria: Centre for the Economics of Education and Training, Monash University.
Svensson, J. (2000) Foreign Aid and Rent-Seeking. Journal of International Economics 51(2):437-461 cited in Knack, "Does Foreign Aid Promote Democracy?," p. 253.
UNESCO (2009a), Learning for a Sustainable World: Review of Contexts and Structures for Education for Sustainable Development 2009, UNESCO, Paris. P. 48-54
Stephens, J.C., Hernandez, M.E., Román, M., Graham, A.C. and Scholz, R.W. (2008), “Higher education as a change agent for sustainability in different cultures and contexts”, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 317‐37.
Cuthill, M. & Scull, S. (2011): Going to university: pacific island migrant perspectives. Vol. 53, No. 1.
UNESCO (2005a), A Situational Analysis of Education for Sustainable Development in the Asia‐Pacific Region, UNESCO Bangkok, Bangkok.
International Institute for Sustainable Development, (2005). Aiding or abetting? dilemmas of foreign aid and political instability in the melanesian pacific. p. 11.
British Journal of Educational Psychology, (2006). Engaged outreach: using community engagement to facilitate access to higher education for people from low socio‐economic backgrounds. vol. 76, iss. 3, p. 429-444.
