The Vaka Pasifiki Education Conference brought together close to 100 educators from RMI and around the Pacific for three days of presentations and discussions about visions and opportunities in a changing education landscape.
Teachers and administrators in the Pacific share many challenges, ranging from out-migration depleting enrollment to cultural dynamics that can both strengthen or undermine educational outcomes.
The theme of the gathering was “With knowledge, influence decision-making, voice your ideas, do not remain silent.”
Presentations and workshop sessions ranged from hands-on basics of “student-centered learning” and “Reflections on school leadership standards in the RMI” to more deep-thinking and reform-oriented sessions on “Decolonizing positionally, articulating the Vanua and grounding critical Pacific Islands and Oceania studies in land-based pedagogy,” “Indigenizing education for educational reform in Oceania,” and “The potential and beneficial outcomes of using traditional teaching and learning pedagogies.”
The three days was quite literally a smorgasbord of interactive and interesting presentations from teachers, administrators, and researchers in the region. The value of putting teachers and other educators together for three days of conversations on essential topics was valuable in and of itself, said Public School System Education Commissioner Dr. Natalie Nimmer.
“Teaching can be an isolating career because they are alone with their students all day and only rarely get a chance to collaborate with colleagues,” she said. “The Vaka Pasifiki Education Conference provided a structured way for teachers to discuss their successes, questions, and visions for the future.”
She also pointed out the value of a regional gathering for teachers.
“When educators meet others from across our region who are facing similar challenges, they can share strategies and stories about what has been effective,” Nimmer said. “It was also a great way to have regional discussions about changes we all face: like climate change, the changing dynamics of families as a result of out-migration, how cultural changes impact the way teachers and students interact.”