Processes, policies, practices and people that perpetuate inequity
Ākonga
Nathan; student
I think it's unfair that people, like, assume that you can already speak English and they put you straight into, like, NCEA standards and stuff when you really don't know, like, you're not familiar with English and you have to, like, learn through it. And also because, like, it was really hard for me to learn. So I know how other people feel. So I think it's kind of unfair for people to just assume that people know English and put them straight into NCEA standards when they really don't know how to speak the language properly.
Rashida; teacher
In terms of helping students, NCEA has the flexibility to be able to allow assessment to happen at the pace of the students. So that's a real big positive strength. It also allows us to collect evidence towards learning in many different ways.
Many teachers don't know how to use alternative evidence or do interviews, or see it as a valid form of assessment. Report writing can be quite difficult for students who are thinking in a different language and writing in their second language. And they may not convey what they need to convey. So then inequity happens in that reaching [of] the higher grades. They're perfectly capable of doing it, just not in English as their primary source.
Cherry; student
When I came here, schools, like, they were using laptops and things like that. My country were not really using laptops or something like phones. And I was like, it's my first time for using laptops in that time. And like, I was struggling because I don't know how to use, like, laptops or something like that. And then, I was like, I was… ask my teacher, like, can you teach me how to log in, like Google Classroom or something like that. And then, they were like, “[You’re] not, you know, listening to me”.
Rashida; teacher
I had a couple of students last week, actually grappling with some hard stuff. And they actually started speaking to each other in their own language and were really grappling, and it was actually really lovely to see that.
And then we are also quite big advocators of alternative assessment strategies. So verbal assessment is great and interview is great. They can do some hybrid assessment where it's partly written, partly spoken. If we feel that the student isn't showing their best, then we're happy to go along and do an interview. So I think there are strategies that make them feel comfortable, but it has to be from the teacher because the students won’t come and say this, this and this, because they’re so focused on conforming.
Whether it's formative, whether it's summative, I don't think that matters. But trying to bring out understanding in lots of different ways would support their confidence levels in being in New Zealand and just being able to participate a bit more in class.
Nathan; student
The advice that I would probably give is to be more understanding and to be more considerate of other people, because there are other people who are in rougher situations. And I think that if they were more considerate, then people would be able to catch up and to be able to like, reach the standards that people want them to achieve.
New migrants are always navigating new spaces and systems. In this video, kaiako and rangatahi describe the inequities in trying to navigate schooling systems like NCEA.
Targeted and coordinated policies across the social services sector are needed to better support migrant learners and their families, starting at community level.
Listening to the lived experiences of new migrants respects their right to a voice and honours their cultural and linguistic integrity. This requires understanding the power of the dominant culture and moving beyond cultural awareness and responsiveness to a space where cultural equity is realised.
Many teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are Pākehā. The teaching profession doesn’t reflect the reality of our multicultural communities, and it also centres Pākehā cultural norms, perspectives and lenses on ways of learning and the content taught.
When thinking about how migrant families are affected by processes, policies, practices and people the following themes emerged from the report:
Decision-making
- Targeted, coordinated, community-level policies are necessary to better support migrant learners and their families.
- More migrant families need to be made welcome in governing roles of school communities.
- The voices of migrant ākonga need to be included in the decisions that impact them the most.
Inclusion
- Factors such as material hardship, prior education experiences, and geographical location create inequities and limit educational opportunities for migrants.
- Attitudes toward multilingual ākonga and language limitations need to shift, as they exclude many migrant learners from fully engaging in the school community.
Partnership
- Teachers need to work together with communities to advocate for systemic changes that support the rights and wellbeing of migrant learners.
- Families need regular and relevant information about how their tamariki are doing and to be included in their schooling.
Overall wellbeing score for learners (Years 9–13) from ethnic communities based on the WHO-5 (2022)
Ka hiahiatia pea ēnei
You may also be interested in
- ‘We need a Tisi in every school’: Riccarton High’s unique diversity role
Cultural diversity facilitator Dr Tisi Sharnali says all schools would benefit from dedicated, full-time, culturally capable staff members. - Guide to leading inclusive schools
What it takes to lead an inclusive school where all ākonga are supported and diversity is valued. - Student voice drives change
Student voice tell us who they need their teachers to be.
Hei whakaaro ake
Food for thought
- In what ways can student and whānau voice be the foundation of real change?
- What kinds of changes could help new migrant ākonga who find school policies and processes, like NCEA, challenging?
- Where do you see inequity happening in your school, business or community?
- Who is missing from discussions and decision-making?
