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Wellington, May 14, 2022
New research published by the Education Review Office (ERO) shows that Covid-19 has disproportionally and significantly impacted Pacific learners.
ERO Chief Executive Nicholas Pole said that Pacific learners and communities have been remarkably resilient in facing the challenges of Covid-19.
However, the Research found that Pacific learners were disproportionately impacted.
“Two-thirds of Pacific learners live in Auckland where schools have been closed more than three times the number of days than the rest of the country. Pacific communities have experienced higher levels of Covid-19, impacting their learners. Pacific learners have also faced greater barriers to learning as they were more likely to say they wouldn’t have access to a device to learn from at home,” Mr Pole said.
Long-term risk
He said that the long term impact on Pacific learners is a serious risk.
There are already some concerns about the impact the disruption has had on engagement in education. Attendance rates for Pacific learners are falling behind other groups – at the end of November last year attendance for Pacific students was only 47%. Our report shows that Pacific learners’ achievement also fell in 2021.
“In addition, Pacific learners also told us how the pandemic had continued to impact them in terms of anxiety and being overwhelmed transitioning in and out of lockdowns,” Mr Pole said.
Despite the impact of Covid-19 on education in New Zealand, Pacific learners’ families, communities, and schools have been outstanding in supporting learners.
Pacific learners reported feeling supported by the adults in their lives and had people they could talk to if they had well-being or learning concerns. They were more likely to say they received extra support from teachers following lockdown and there has also been an increase in Pacific families’ engagement with their children’s learning.
The lessons of the pandemic
ERO’s new research provides examples of ways teachers, schools, and whānau worked to support learners during the pandemic – something that ERO Pule Pasifika Taulea’leausumai, Violet Tu’uga Stevenson said should be celebrated.
“We have seen schools implement flexible timetables to help learners manage education and other responsibilities, such as working or helping out at home. We have also seen schools innovate to make culture a visible part of learning, celebrate pride in Pacific cultures, and work to make strong connections with Pacific learners to better understand them.”
“We recommend that schools continue to do these things, along with taking proactive action to prioritise support for Pacific learners. This could include programmes to catch up on learning, combined supports for wellbeing, achievement and attendance, and supporting students to continue with their learning while balancing family commitments,” she said.
But schools can’t do this alone. With evidence of Covid-19 continuing to disproportionately impact Pacific communities, now is the time for action to ensure Pacific learners are not further disadvantaged in the long term.
Collaborative work essential
ERO recommends that education agencies work together to develop a specific response to raise achievement for Pacific learners. This needs to address lost learning, help those learners who are behind to catch up, and must focus on the essential areas of literacy and numeracy.
ERO will also work specifically with those schools where Pacific learners’ progress and achievement have declined to help them to find ways to improve Pacific learner outcomes, exploring and using the good practices in this report.
Please access the full Report at www.ero.govt.nz
ERO has also produced a short summary with the key findings: Learning in a Covid-19 World: The Impact of Covid-19 on Pacific Learners – Summary | Education Review Office (ero.govt.nz)
And a guide for school leaders and how they can support Pacific learners: Learning in a Covid-19 World: A guide for supporting Pacific learners | Education Review Office (ero.govt.nz)
