Liaison role key to identifying and supporting the needs of Pacific students

Education Gazette had the pleasure of visiting Scots College during their Samoa Language Week celebrations. All the images in this article showcase the highlight of the visit, which was seeing Pasifika Alo Fa’atasi perform.

A voice is heard saying “Remember your smiles!” as a group of nervous but excited students practise for their assembly in a few minutes.

The voice comes from Bessie Fepulea’i, who is the Pacific Liaison at Scots College.

Bessie’s role as a Pacific Liaison encompasses many aspects, such as helping students manage their academic life, providing them with opportunities and supporting them to embrace their culture within the school.

“When I first started, my role was to identify the needs of Pasifika students coming through the school,” says Bessie.

There’s a significant number of Pacific students who now have the opportunity to attend Scots College, but Bessie says sometimes these students can struggle with the fast-paced nature of the school. She helps them to manage their workload.

Bessie also assists staff with culturally competent ways of teaching Pacific students and how Pacific students’ needs may differ from others.

She is currently helping three international students from Tonga to get a support person as they speak minimal English. They currently have people from the wider Pacific community to help with translations.

Bessie’s role has been funded through the the Ministry of Education’s Pacific Education Innovation Fund. Before this funding, her role was just five hours a week.

“I was doing quite a lot of voluntary work,” she says.

Bessie’s role is now full-time which has allowed more students access to her support.

The funding has also allowed Bessie, alongside others, to create a numeracy and literacy programme for Pacific students at Scots.

Pasifika Alo Fa’atasi take pride in showcasing their culture to the school.

Support significant for students

Pacific students at Scots College say that Bessie’s support has significantly helped.

“Having Bessie here is definitely a big help for us,” says Year 12 student Hayden. “She helps me be more organised with school and sports.”

Bessie has also organised a homework club which helps students stay on top of their workload.

Year 13 student Zara says having a staff member of the same cultural background makes students feel more comfortable and makes for a better connection.

“She involves us in so many things to do with our culture. It doesn’t feel as if we come to school for a week and hear nothing about your culture till you go home, so it’s nice,” says Zara.

Year 9 student Salote adds that Bessie has really helped her express her identity in a predominantly Pākehā school.

“She has really helped me do that, not only outside of school but inside as well. She keeps us in line and sometimes you just need that kind of comfort to know that you belong,” says Salote.

Pasifika Alo Fa’atasi take pride in showcasing their culture to the school.

Sense of belonging

“It’s important for them to feel like they belong in a school like Scots,” says Bessie.

Bessie also pushes Pacific students to take up opportunities that are rare. For example, Scots College offers an International Baccalaureate programme.

“We have very few Pasifika who do that course but a lot of that is because they are afraid of it. They think it’s too big for them, but we are pushing them to take on those challenges. We have quite a few of them in the programme at the moment,” she says.

She has also helped students get into Gateway programmes.

“This school didn’t do Gateway programmes. The pathway is university, but some of our students aren’t too strong going to university, but they are good with their hands, and they want to do a trade.”

Bessie also runs Poly group. This is another key role in supporting Pacific students to embrace their identities.

“It gives them that extra, ‘It’s OK, you can be who you are here in this school’,” says Bessie.

“They feel more valued. It’s showing that’s who they are as Pacific people, it’s a part of their identity to showcase like we did today.”

Bessie applying final touches before the students perform.

Language week celebrations

This year marked the first time the school has celebrated Samoa Language Week.

Zara says it’s special as the school doesn’t have a large population of Pacific Islanders.

“It’s a week where we get to show the school what we do as a culture and how we express it.”

Many of Zara’s peers feel the same.

Year 13 student Semurana says, “It’s cool to see our culture recognised. It’s cool for them to see our culture and to get involved.”

Hayden also feels excited to share his culture saying, “It’s about getting everyone involved in different cultures and including everyone, getting them to know our cultures and to know who we are as (Pacific) people.”

“We want to make sure Samoa language weeks and all other language weeks are able to be celebrated at any time,” says Bessie. “And that they (the students) are able to use their voice to teach and get other people to learn about who they are as Pacific people.”

Full-time support needed

Bessie says to sustain the efforts made to support Pacific Students, it’s important for continued support for full-time Pacific staff.

She says there is a need for people to “see the worth for what it is here in the school”. Pasifika community work is rarely rewarded monetary-wise and is commonly voluntary.

Bessie says that Scots is doing well in supporting Pacific students and that the school is asking them about their needs as opposed to creating roadblocks.

“It’s important that people understand who they are and where they come from because Pacific students carry not just themselves as they come through the school, but they carry their families with them.” 

Pasifika Alo Fa’atasi standing proudly in front of the Samoan flag that was raised to celebrate Samoa Language Week.