(Picture caption: Faiaoga around the country are benefitting from the Tāfesilafa’i initiative. Photo credit: Geoffrey Mautatia.)
Tāfesilafa’i, an initiative embedded in fa’a Samoa, is rebalancing the scales so aoga amata (Samoan early childhood education centres) have the same access to support and resources as that of their mainstream equivalents.
Funded by the Ministry of Education’s Pacific Education Innovation Fund, and supported by Healthy Families Waitākere since its formation in 2019, aoga amata around the country are being provided with wrap-around support so both faiaoga (teachers) and students can thrive.
It is underpinned by the strongly-evidenced connection between teacher wellbeing and child wellbeing – when we look after our teachers, they can provide nurturing learning environments for the children in their care.
Irene Palea’i-Foroti, Fa’atonusili, Director for Sosaiete Aoga Amata Sāmoa I Aotearoa (SAASIA), says she knows Tāfesilafa’i works as it can be seen at the centres.
“While early learning centres (mainstream and language nests) attendance is in decline due to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, aoga amata attendance levels have increased,” Irene says.
“The continuing support from the stakeholders, who have been instrumental in establishing this initiative, to enable our aoga amata, teachers, children and parents to dream their dreams, to grow and to achieve what they may never have thought possible before.
“Faiaoga share the children are happy and engaged in their learning, and we are the living evidence, our children, parents and communities - this is all the evidence we need to see to know Tāfesilafa’i is working.”
A critical element to Tāfesilafa’i is providing a place for faiaoga from aoga amata to come together, connect, and exchange resources, fostering confidence in incorporating Samoan culture into pedagogy.
Tāfesilafa’i has unlocked professional development opportunities, enabling collaborative resource development and sharing of teaching assets across the network—all conducted in the Samoan language and aligned with cultural practices at learning days hosted by SAASIA.
A vital step in developing Tāfesilafa’i has been identifying the immediate stressors faiaoga experienced, and as a result the initiative is now ensuring aoga amata have the same access to support and resources as their mainstream equivalents.
Equipping faiaoga with laptops has been instrumental in ensuring they have access to equal opportunities.
Identified early as a barrier, laptops and access to the internet allow faiaoga to apply for external funding, network with one another and source educational resources online – all of which was not happening prior to Tāfesilafa’i.
Additionally, SAASIA has provided further digital literacy training for faiaoga, building capacity and capability across the network.
The resounding achievement of Tāfesilafa’i is faiaoga feel connected and confident to teach Samoan pedagogy and curriculum.
By providing a space for faiaoga from different centres to meet, faiaoga further understand the importance of their work and the broader benefits it will have on the children in their care.
While being in a supportive environment, faiaoga from different aoga amata are sharing ways in which they provide culturally centred early learning, enabling them to learn from one another and those sharing their approach, building confidence in the collectives culturally centred methods and practices.
Tāfesilafa’i has the aspirations and ability to scale nationally, and as the initiative enters its fourth phase, Healthy Families Waitākere is looking to build capability and capacity of its sustainability partner, SAASIA, to carry the initiative forward.
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