O tu, ma aganu'u ma agaifanua a le tamaititi ole a le mafai ona ulufale atu I le potuaoga sei vagana ua faatauaina ma faaulufaleina muamua I le loto ma le agaga o le faiaoga
The culture of the child cannot enter the classroom until it has first entered the consciousness of the teacher
(Anon)
This paper was prepared by Ruta McKenzie, University of Canterbury, 2009.
Key question
What might moving to school mean for Pasifika children, for their families, or for their new entrant teacher?
Introduction
Transition programmes from Pasifika immersion early childhood to a Palagi primary school should involve ongoing communication between teachers at the early childhood setting, families, and teachers at the primary school. It is about each knowing what the other is doing, sharing the same purpose, working toward shared goals, and working in the best interests of the learner, families and the community. Building a collaborative approach that reflects mutual respect, trust, responsive and reciprocal relationships for both settings represents a positive step in fostering a partnership between the Pasifika early childhood setting and the primary school.