September 3rd 2010
Issue 40 EXCLUSIVE
A Shift in Command: Female Firefighters rising to the challenge
A new wave of command is filtering through New Zealand’s volunteer fire service as women work their way to the top.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 31st 2010
PM Launches Pacific Youth Awards
High-achieving young Pacific New Zealanders will be recognised for their outstanding contributions through the newly-created Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Awards.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

AUGUST 31ST 2010
Taking multicultural New Zealand into the newsroom
AUT University’s new Graduate Diploma in Pacific Journalism, which aims to address the shortage of Pasifika journalists in New Zealand, is gearing up for its first batch of students in 2011.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 31st 2010
Honorary doctorate for Maori Language pioneer
Roka Paora QSM (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), is nationally recognised as an expert and authority in Māori language, culture and history. This week in Opotiki she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 31st 2010
Maori fantasy novel wins children's book award
Hewa a fantasy novel in te reo Mäori for children aged 11-14 by lecturer Dr Darryn Joseph has won a national children’s book award.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 27th 2010
Survey on compulsory Māori language education
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori role as outlined in The Māori Language Act 1987 is to support Māori language revitalisation efforts, promote and preserve the integrity of the language and provide advice to the Minister and wider public sector on language issues as required.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 26th 2010
Waikato University scholarship winner aims to work at UN
A Waikato University student who one day wants to work for the United Nations has won a scholarship named after the late Māori Queen.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 26th 2010
Wellington old boy secures Waikato University Scholarship
A former Wellington College student is one of two people to win a scholarship named after the late Māori Queen.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 23rd 2010
Drive to find Pasifika lecturer for new journalism course
New Zealand’s AUT University is seeking a Pasifika journalist and educator to join its teaching staff
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 20th 2010
Cook Islands ceremony for graduating art students
Five students graduated with masters and two with postgraduate diplomas from AUT University’s School of Art and Design at the Rarotonga campus of the University of the South Pacific in last week’s ceremony at a resort hotel.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 16th 2010
New Pacific performing arts degree at UNITEC
Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA), based at UNITEC and designed to build a solid Pacific performing arts base where students can become professional artists.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 16th 2010
Goal set for Pacific PHD students at AUT
Pasifika Advancement Office at AUT University.has set its sights on having 100 PhD Pacific students by the year 2020, a goal which may seem a long while away with only two PhD Pacific graduates finishing last year and 12 students currently enrolled in the PhD programme.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 13th 2010
Story of loss inspires Pacific scholarships
Massey University is establishing special scholarships for Pasifika people to train in disaster management – a move applauded by a Samoan academic who lost 14 family members in last September's tsunami.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 12th 2010
Victoria focuses on Pacific students success
Professor Pat Walsh, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University is delighted to announce the appointment of Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika).
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 10th 2010
$4.2 million funding boost for some early childhood education centres
Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples have announced a $4.2 million funding boost for five early childhood education centres, which will benefit 280 children.
CLICK ON PIC TOP READ MORE

August 10th 2010
National Teaching excellence award for Waikato lecturer
A teacher of Māori language, tikanga and Māori performing arts at the University of Waikato has been recognised for his outstanding teaching practices with national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 5th 2010
100 new Pacific scholarships next year
New Zealand will double the number of scholarships available to young people from the Pacific next year, boosting support for education in the region, Prime Minister John Key announced today.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 5th 2010
North Tec gets new indigenous development advocate
Adjunct Professor of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Susan Cullen (Ngati Maniapoto), has joined the NorthTec Council. Ms Cullen joins the Council as the last of four independent representatives. NorthTec is the Tai Tokerau (Northland) region's largest provider of tertiary education, with campuses and learning centres in Whangarei, Kerikeri, Rāwene, Kaikohe and Kaitaia, and also has over 60 community-based delivery points from Coatesville in rural Rodney to Ngataki in the Far North.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 5th 2010
Mother of four graduated with honours
Helena Kaho, mother of four and a Kiwi of Tongan descent, is now working full-time as the Pasifika Academic co-ordinator in the Faculty of Law at Auckland University while she finishes her masters part-time. She has been juggling the pressures of parenthood with a Bachelor of Arts and Law degree for the past seven years.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 4th 2010
Future looks brighter for Unitec students
The Youth guarantee scheme, introduced this year at Unitec, and now commencing a new semester, is bringing new hope to teenagers who dropped out of school with little or no qualifications.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

August 3rd 2010
Engineers celebrate Maori Language Week with a new name
"Nga Kaihanga Kore Here O Aotearoa" is now the official name in te reo Maori of Engineers Without Borders New Zealand.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORe

August 3rd 2010
Canada trip brings renewed perspective of indigenous law
Twelve Waikato University students studying management and different aspects of indigenous law have returned from a research haerenga (journey) to Canada, encouraged and challenged by the experience. The group consisted of Māori postgraduate and undergraduate students and the experience was to assist students carry out comparative research on indigenous Canadian peoples for papers in law and management in New Zealand.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 29th 2010
Youth Employment top priority says major project
A youth-to-work plan for every individual young New Zealander to improve their employment prospects and choices is one of the major recommendations in the National Conversation about Work report undertaken by the Human Rights Commission.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Rapare 29 Hongongoi 2010
University students hope to inspire others in a new book
Young New Zealanders look back at their personal journeys from low or mid-decile schools to tertiary education in a new book compiled by The Starpath Project at The University of Auckland.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Raapa 28 Hongongoi 2010
Tots and toddlers course translated into Te Reo Maori
This Maori Language Week Plunket is launching the first Tots and Toddlers early childhood unit ‘Demonstrate knowledge of the needs of young children’ in Te Reo Maori
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Raapa 28 Hongongoi 2010
Major legal Maori projects completed in time for Maori Language Week
Two major funded works in Maori have recently been completed by researchers and staff at Victoria University's Law Faculty, following two years of hard work.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 15th 2010
Young Pasifika Filmmakers Find Inspiration
The world's stare is increasingly on New Zealand and local filmmakers are a big reason for that. The country's cultural diversity and the general resourcefulness of Kiwis have helped to enrich the New Zealand film industry.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

15th July 2010
Kapa Haka Kings
Te Piringa, which draws members from four Manawatu schools, beat out challenges from 35 other teams with their winning performance at the national kappa haka scene and the victory has its roots back in 1999, when the kapa haka group came into existence.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 13th 2010
Fullbright Scholarship Enables Schmidt to Study in US
University of Auckland Pacific Equity Adviser Kristian Schmidt is one of 25 recipients of the Fulbright New Zealand scholarship awarded in June. It enables the 25-year-old Samoan to study and compare New Zealand and American university equity outreach initiatives targeting ethnic minorities such as Pacific people.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 13th 2010
Opening Ceremony a Celebration of Bright Futures
It was the young people carrying the hopes of a people on their shoulders who stole the show as Best Pacific Institute of Education opened its new youth campus on Friday June 18 in Manukau, south Auckland.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Whitireia Media Centre offers news, radio, publishing, sound in short practical courses
Broadcast and media jobs are achieved by fast , practical qualifications from Whitireia, that are part of a live network and also include the option of working on fashion shows, gigs and events across other programmes
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Science for Soloman Islander
Ivan Tava of Career Services introduces a series of stories about inspirational and talented Pasifika people as they journey along their career paths
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Scholarships let girls live their dreams
Mina Sheck (Y8) and Andrea Kapeteni (Y13) are years apart in age but the two have become firm friends as Endeavour Scholars at St Cuthbert’s College.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Courage helps Tiana succeed
"Sucess in not final, failure in not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." It was these famous Winston Churchill words that inspired Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate Tiana Lolesio, to ride out the tough times during her degree studies
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 6th 2010
Expert CV help at Job and Career Expo
It’s one of the most important documents you’ll ever write in your life and can make the difference in winning your dream job; but many jobseekers still don’t know how to properly write their curriculum vitae (CV).
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 5th 2010
Practical learning for AUT student
AUT student ALLANA KAIPO has just completed a nine-week internship with SPASIFIK. The Bachelor of Business (marketing) student shares the challenges and triumphs of her experience as Marketing Assistant with SPASIFIK Magazine.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 1st 2010
History vital to identity
Associate Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples says a knowledge of history is vital to identity, and all New Zealanders should learn the history of our country in schools.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

July 1st 2010
Hamilton School wins Air NZ Samoan Language Week Prize
Hundreds of events celebrating gagana Samoa, the Samoan language, took place in schools, churches, sports grounds and homes throughout New Zealand from 30 May to 5 June.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 30th 2010
Doors close at NZ Universities
Since the 1920’s every Kiwi over the age of 20 has been allowed automatic entry to university, without reference to their academic performance at school. This will now no longer be the case and open entry to universities for people aged more than 20 is effectively over, Labour says.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 25th 2010
Academic calls for more Māori content in history curriculum
The New Zealand Government is being called on to conduct an immediate inquiry into the history curriculum to fill gaps in the teaching of Māori history in New Zealand schools.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 24th 2010
Better educational success for Pacific students critical to New Zealand’s future
A comprehensive report analysing Pacific students’ participation and achievement at all levels of education makes a compelling case for more attention to their success, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs says.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 23rd 2010
Pacific Islanders lag in New Zealand schools
The achievement of Pacific students is not improving fast enough according to the New Zealand’s Education Ministry, but says it’s better than it would have been without its Pasifika education plan.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 23rd 2010
Truant busters on way
The Education Ministry has selected two local firms and an Australian company to supply schools with truancy-busting computer systems.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 21st 2010
Porirua educators bring behaviour solutions to the class
A Porirua education initiative aiming to bridge the gaps between early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education is addressing the national issue of student behaviour in the classroom.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 18th 2010
Te Reo winner thanks whanau
A prestigious speech contest has put Epsom Girls Grammar School in the spotlight for the first time, thanks to Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne whe won the senior Maori section of the Auckland region Nga Manu Korero speech competition last month.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 17th 2010
New Events centre opens in Onehunga
A new events and cultural centre is up and running in Onehunga thanks to the dream of Pulotu Selio Solomon and his parents, who opened the Brother Priscillian Music, Performing Arts, Events & Culture Centre
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 17th 2010
Tane Maori among Australia’s top 100 brightest young minds
Areti Metuamate, based at Australia’s leading university, has been selected as one of the 100 brightest young people in Australia to participate in the Brightest Young Minds Summit 2010.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 16th 2010
Maori Television media Advisory
The Chief Executive of Maori Television, Jim Mather, will undertake a three-month period of professional development from Monday June 28 to Friday September 17 2010.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 15th 2010
Mentors and Motivators Drive PhD Study
Opportunistic meetings with inspirational members of the research community, strong support from family and mentors, self-belief and HRC funding, have been instrumental in Dr Lana Perese’s journey and PhD research entitled, You Bet Your Life … and Mine!: Contemporary Samoan Gambling in New Zealand.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

June 9th 2010
Maori education report shows improvement needed
A report on Maori education released on 31 May shows while some progress is being made there is a long way to go in achieving Ministry of Education goals and targets, the ministry's chief executive Karen Sewell says.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Friday, 4 June, 2010 / Aso Faraile, fa Iuni, 2010
Career College Graduates unite
Graduates from the New Zealand Career College’s Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore campuses were united under one roof for the first time to celebrate their achievements at their graduation ceremony.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Thursday, 3 June, 2010 / Aso Tofi , tolu, luni, 2010
Pasifika graduate blends design and dance passions
Five years ago Phoebe Smith chose design as a career path ahead of hip hop dancing but the new College of Creative Arts graduate is now successfully combining her passions.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Thursday, 3 June, 2010 / Aso Tofi , tolu luni, 2010
Lecturer claims history lessons are one-sided
Peter Adds, head of Victoria University's School of Maori Studies said yesterday that one-sided teaching of our history has left New Zealanders ill-equipped to understand the feelings of Maori.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Wednesday, 2 June, 2010 / Aso Lulu, lua, luni, 2010
Va'aomanū Pasifika Samoan Studies programme turns 21
Victoria University‟s Va‟aomanū Pasifika Samoan Studies programme turns 21 this year and is holding events and activities this week to celebrate its „coming of age‟.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Wednesday 2 June, 2010 / Aso Lulu, lua luni, 2010
Research sounds warning for Samoan Language.
School is replacing the home and church as the main place to learn the Samoan language, a Victoria University Masters student has found.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

 

Wednesday 2nd June, 2010/ Aso Lulu, lua luni, 2010
Decide, plan and act for success.
Twelve Pasifika graduates took part in a colourful and uplifting ceremony held in their honour on Friday night.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE
 

Tuesday, 1 June , 2010 / Aso Lua , tasi, luni, 2010
Another nail in the coffin for open entry
Massey University recently joined Victoria University and Otago University in closing admissions for domestic students for second semester, and moving towards limited entry for all courses from 2011 onwards, which is expected to limit opportunities for Maori and Pacific students.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Monday, 31 May, 2010 / Aso Gafua , tolu sefulu tasi, Me, 2010
From unemployed truck driver to doctor
35-year-old Eli Leckey has finally made the transition from unemployed truck-driver to doctor, after slogging out a hard 12-years of study.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

28th May 2010
Pasifika Students Celebrate Success
Seventy-six Pasifika students adorned caps and gowns this week to celebrate the successful completion of their degree studies during Manukau Institute of Technology’s (MIT) 2010 graduation ceremony.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 20th 2010
Second chance works well for student
Debra Ualesi, a pupil at St Dominic’s College, broke down in tears when teachers told her she was going to be excluded because of her involvement in an afterschool fight with a group of girls while wearing her uniform.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 19th 2010
Young mother a graduate
Palmerston North woman Mahina Selby-Law was among more than 60 graduates attending yesterday's Maori graduation ceremony at The Regent.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 19th 2010
University’s deepening Pacific role
The University of Auckland is expanding its efforts to support Pacific students, encourage prospective Pacific staff and boost its research capability in the Pacific.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 19th 2010
Back to school a milestone for former Pacific broadcaster
Gladys Hartson entered the Graduate Diploma in Journalism at AUT University this year and recently took up a part-time stint at the Pacific Media Centre as a reporter for Pacific Media Watch.Putting a media career on hold in order to go to back to journalism school was a tough choice, says Gladys, a former broadcaster at the Pacific Media Network.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 19th 2010
Cash-strapped Maori colleges need urgent help
The Anglican General Synod, after its meeting in Gisborne this week, said it intended to take immediate action over two leading Maori schools in Hawke's Bay , both of which are in severe financial difficulties.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 17th 2010
New $4 million dollar kura for Nelson
A new school providing education in Te Reo Maori has been established in Nelson and will open in 2012, Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples announced today.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 17th 2010
Pasifika first at graduation
The first students from a new early childhood degree specialising in Pacific education graduated from The University of Auckland last week.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 14th 2010
Mt Maunganui teacher makes his mark
As New Zealand tā moko gains popularity around the globe, tattoo artists such as Que Bidois want to make sure the meaning behind the ink is not lost along the way.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 14th 2010
Jaime treads new ground at graduation
J’aime Laurenson became the first Pacific student to receive conjoint Law and Engineering degrees at Autumn graduation. He is also the first student ever to receive honours in both degrees.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 14th 2010
Pasifika scholarships awarded
Four Pasifika students at the Wellington campus have been awarded $1000 scholarships to help them complete their study.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

May 13th 2010
Hawaiian scholars scoop top US fellowships to study at Waikato University.
In a New Zealand first, two Native Hawaiian scholars have won top US awards to complete their PhD studies at the University of Waikato.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE
 

May 7th 2010
Tongan Born Twins Insight into Aotearoa Culture
Twin sisters Neomai and Sela Pole do most things together – and uni has been no exception. They’ll be graduating from the University of Waikato on May 6 with Bachelor of Social Science degrees.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Call for Pacific university of Aotearoa
Massey has been challenged to establish itself as New Zealand's first "Pacific university".
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

Transition to university crucial for students from low decile schools.
Surviving the transition from school to university can have a big impact on whether Māori and Pacific students succeed at tertiary level, a new report says.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 21st 2010
Visit emotional for Tongan Solicitor-General
It was an emotional return for Tonga’s Solicitor-General and Waikato University alumnus Mr Aminiasi Kefu, as he reminisced of his days as a law student during an official visit to the University on April 12.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 20th 2010
Graduation marks end of journey for weaver
When Tuahana Clark graduates with a masters degree from the University of Waikato on Friday, it’ll mark the end of a long journey for the keen weaver.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 16th 2010
Na Haumana O Hawaii Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Pacific University's student Hawaiian club, Na Haumana O Hawaii, celebrated its 50th year in style with a golden anniversary Lu'au that captured the hearts and emotions of nearly 2,000 people in April 2010
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 15th 2010
Parents of bullied kids could sue schools
Dr Janis Carroll-Lind principal adviser to Children’s Commissioner John Angus, told a forum on bullying in Auckland on 13th April that schools had both a “duty of care” to their children and a “fiduciary obligation” similar to a doctor-patient relationship.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 13th 2010
Poor schools make big NCEA gains
Schools in some of New Zealand’s poorest areas have achieved the biggest gains in student achievement over the past six years.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 13th 2010
Pacific Youth Leadership & Transformation Programme kicks on in Christchurch
In Christchurch, New Zealand some of the brightest young Pacific minds will get to demonstrate their abilities next week when they take part in the Pacific Youth Leadership and Transformation (PYLAT) programme.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 12th 2010
PILOT launched
A new initiative to help identify future Pacific leaders from Auckland secondary schools has was launched at the Pacific Business Trust in Otahuhu
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 8th 2010
Auckland Director of Pacific Studies Retires
Associate Professor Richard Moyle is given a fitting farewell as he retires as Director of the Centre for Pacific Studies at The University of Auckland.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 7th 2010
National forum aims to lift Pasifika student achievement
NZUSA, in conjunction with the Waikato University Pacific Island Students' Association and Waikato Students' Union, is hosting the 'National Tertiary Pacific Islands Convention' held at Waikato University this week. Over 100 students representing both universities and polytechnics will be attending.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 7th 2010
Chatting with Albert Wendt
“Talking to Albert Wendt is like indulging in fine tequila. Heavy on the lime, easy on the salt. The man is a national treasure,” said Tupuola Terry Tavita
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 7th 2010
Culture & Diversity at forefront of AUT Media Excellence Awards
AUCKLAND (Pacific Scoop/Pacific Media Watch): With a “real passion to share the rich history” of his Pacific culture, John Pulu has been awarded the Spasifik Prize and Storyboard Award for diversity journalism.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

April 1st 2010
Film student scoops award at Pollywood
An up and coming student filmmaker from The University of Auckland’s Department of Film, Television and Media Studies has won acclaim at ‘Pollywood’.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

March 30th 2010
Sector Leaders Help Launch Public Health School
Leading figures in New Zealand health sector joined the University’s top health researchers to launch its new School of Public Health on March 7th.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

March 29th 2010
Waikato University Hosts Academic Excellence Awards
The University of Waikato is again honoured to host the Te Amorangi National Māori Academic Excellence Awards, to be held on Friday April 9 at Tūrangawaeawae Marae, Ngāruawahia.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

24th March 2010
Mentoring Programme helps students
The Village Trust’s youth mentoring programme takes 30 students at 9 high schools from Onehunga to Massey.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

March 19th 2010
Tamati Reedy Made Emeritus Professor to Cap Career
The founding dean of Waikato University's School of Maori and Pacific Development is the first Maori to be made an emeritus professor by the university.
CLICK ON PIC TO READ MORE

February 25th 2010
Tertiary Education Opportunities to Be Denied
Tertiary students are likely to face new barriers to gaining skills and qualifications under apparent plans by the new Tertiary Education Minister, says Maryan Street, Labour’s Tertiary Education Spokesperson.

February 22nd 2010
Access to student loans vital to future of Pacific Island community
Access to tertiary education for Pacific Islanders will be adversely affected by any attempts to restrict access to student loans, Labour Associate Education spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.

February 17th 2010
Solomon Island’s government to replace full scholarships with partial ones
The Ministry of Education in Solomon Islands is to replace full scholarships with partial scholarships for some students as a way to ease pressure on the government’s budget.

February 11th 2010
Tertiary Partnership to Benefit Pacific Communities
Pasifika communities in New Zealand and the Pacific are set to benefit from a partnership between two leading tertiary institutions from Auckland and Wellington.

February 8th 2010
Developing business skills
In 2009 Pacific Business Trust launched and recruited 100 students for their Te Wananga O Aotearoa Business training courses delivered at the Pacific Business Trust’s Head Office in Otahuhu.