[lg policy] Reversion to colonialist language policy in New Zealand

Tue Nov 27 15:16:06 UTC 2012

 Forwarded From: lpren at caltalk.cal.org
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:02:48 +0000

Reversion to colonialist language policy in New Zealand

CAL Language Policy Research Network
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Talofa lavaall      Members may wish to read more about this language
Policy struggle at-

1) May, S. (2012)  Language and  Minority Rights      pp.  194,
330-335, 336, 359     Also  other  publications by Stephen May .

2) McCaffery, J.J; McFall- Mccaffery, J.A.T. ( 2010) 'O tatou ō aga’i
i fea?/`Oku tau ō ki fe?/Where are we heading?: Pasifika languages in
Aotearoa/New Zealand', AlterNative : An International Iournal of
Indigenous Scholarship, 6, (Issue 2: Special Supplement Issue Ngaahi
Lea 'a e Kakai Pasifiki: Endangered Pacific Languages and Cultures),
86-121,  (35 pages)

3) Tuafuti, P., & McCaffery, J. (2005) Family and community
empowerment through bilingual education. The International Journal of
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 8(5), 480-503.

4) http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-11-26/adviser-resigns-over-nz-pacific-education-plan/1051620

5) Pacific Languages Framework Ministry of Pacific Affairs  at -
    http://www.mpia.govt.nz/pacific-languages-framework-3/

6) The 2013-2017 Pasifika Education Plan – Ministry of Education  at
    http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/PasifikaEducation/PasifikaEducationPlan2013.aspx

John

John   McCaffery.  Senior Lecturer, Te Kura Marautanga me te Ako:
Curriculum & Pedagogy( English/Languages/ Literacy/TESOL/ Bilingual/
Immersion Education )
Faculty of Education, Epsom Campus.  Office N Block, N601  University
of Auckland, Private Bag 92601, Symonds Street, Auckland 1,
Aotearoa/New Zealand
email:  j.mccaffery at auckland.ac.nz
Work:  64-9-6238899 ext 48709  Fax; 64-9-623 8811    Mob: 027 20 83 766
Greetings from Aotearoa/New Zealand: "Kia Ora, Kia orana,  Namaste-Ni
sa bula, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Malo e lelei, Halo olaketa,
Kam na mauri, Ia orana, Kia ora, Talofa lava and Pacific Greetings to
you all.

Blessed with Bilingual Brains- Aroʻaʻia te reo ʻenua. Tuatua mai
tuatua atu tuatua mai.

A new Vision for for Pacific  Families
1.1 To enjoy success in education as Pasifika (Tongan , Niue , Samoan,
 Tokelaun, Cook Is…)  peoples.
1.2 To be able to grow up in NZ in the context of our own languages,
cultures, values and beliefs.
1.3 To be able to live life as Pasifika (Tongan, Niue, Samoan,
Tokelauan, Cook Is…) peoples in NZ.
1.4 To gain the skills, knowledge and understandings to be productive
citizens of the wider world and participate in all areas of NZ society
sharing in its material well being.
Adapted from  Professor Mason Durie's Maori Education Strategy
From: "lpren at caltalk.cal.org<mailto:lpren at caltalk.cal.org>"
<lpren at caltalk.cal.org<mailto:lpren at caltalk.cal.org>>
Reply-To: "lpren at caltalk.cal.org<mailto:lpren at caltalk.cal.org>"
<lpren at caltalk.cal.org<mailto:lpren at caltalk.cal.org>>
Date: Monday, 26 November 2012 6:53 PM
To: "lpren at caltalk.cal.org<mailto:lpren at caltalk.cal.org>"
<lpren at caltalk.cal.org<mailto:lpren at caltalk.cal.org>>
Subject: [MARKETING] Reversion to colonialist language policy in New Zealand

CAL Language Policy Research Network
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I want to share with members of the Network a letter I have just
received from John McCaffery in Auckland. If you agree with me that
the failure of the New Zealand government's plan for Pasifika
education is a seriously retrograde step, you might want to inform
anyone you know in New Zealand. You could also write to the Minister
of Education and Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon. Hekia
Parata MP at <H.Parata at ministers.govt.nz<mailto:H.Parata at ministers.govt.nz>>
Here is John"s letter:
The resignation of Afioga Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin from the NZ
Minister of Pacific Affairs Pacific Advisory Council after 14 years
service on the Council has sent shock waves and sadness through the
Pasifika community today. As a Samoan high chief Galumalemana Hunkin
‘s contributions to the maintenance and rejuvenation of Samoan
language in Aotearoa New Zealand hasbeen very significant.  This
includes being a Lecturer in Samoan at Victoria University of
Wellington, author of a large number of academic research papers on
the place of Pasifika languages in NZ, former long serving chairperson
of Fagasa, Executive member of the Bilingual Leo Pacific Coalition,
member of numerous Advisory Boards and bodies, highly respected elder
and one of the paramount leaders of the Wellington Samoan community.

In his letter of resignation Galumalemana Hunkin says the resignation
is in protest over the 2012 meaningless PacificLanguages Framework
strategy and the 2013 Pacific Education Plan launched on Thursday. He
said Pacific communities in NZ are simply
asking for what is fair and just and educationally rewarding for
Pacific children.

He explains -
I am disillusioned of the repeated platitudes that continue to be
trotted out each time by way of plans that have not hadmuch substance
nor resources financially or otherwise to make them useful or
meaningful. Both the Pasifika Languages Framework of the MPIA and the
PEP plan by MOE reflect no real commitment to policies that commit the
Government tousing Pasefika languages in the education of our
children.

 Galumaleman says-
New Zealand governments for nearly 40 years, continue to ignore
continuous lobbying and calls for our Samoan language for example, to
be valued and to be used effectively in the education of our children.
International and local best practice research supports the underlined
positive intellectual & academic gains that our children would achieve
from bilingual programmes. These continue to be ignored by government
after government, including this present government. These plans are
telling us that what we culturally and linguistically value & hold
dear do not matter in New Zealand. We have been effectively told in
these plans to ‘let them die’, with little or no government support or
policy.

 Galumalemana also calls on Maori to support this Pacific Human Rights
struggle. He went on to say-

I also call on Maori in New Zealand to support the recognition of our
Pasifika languages, the sister languages of Te Reo Maori. We have
strongly supported the developments and woadvancement of Te Reo Maori.
We have been left  still however, in the same cold and miserable spot.
Just as we stood by you and with you in the 1970s 1980s and 90’s
until you gained recognition for your language , so we ask you to
assist us in our hour of need. All we are asking is for some
recognition that our peoples and languages now  have a place here in
NZ as part of the Indigenous wider  Pacific  and for meaningful
policies that will be funded properly.

ENDS
Note:   (Analysis of targets set for Pasifika education show that
there is little evidence of any system-wide improvement resulting from
these plans (Education Review Office, 2012).

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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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