A recent review of investments in Pacific education has led to a significant reduction in funding for the Ministry of Education’s Pacific Bilingual Language programs. The budget has been slashed from $2.6 million in 2023-2024 to $1.2 million in 2024-2025, marking a 54% decrease.
The Ministry described these cuts as a minor part of its overall investment in Pacific learners and languages. However, critics argue that this decision undermines support for Pacific communities.
Labour’s Deputy Leader, Carmel Sepuloni, a former teacher, expressed her disappointment, saying, “I’m highly disappointed, and it just goes to show that this government doesn’t value, respect, or appreciate our Pasifika community, the importance of our languages and our cultures, and they’ve done this in such a quiet way.”
She emphasized the importance of cultural identity in educational success. “I know full well that our kids who are confident in who they are and have access to their language are more likely to achieve and thrive in education than those who are denied these opportunities.”
Leali’ie’e Dr. Tufulasi Taleni, a Pacific education expert at Canterbury University, called the funding reduction “disheartening.” He highlighted the centrality of Pacific languages to families and communities, saying, “Pacific languages are at the heart of our families and communities. Cutting funding to teach these languages in schools is a major setback.”
Taleni warned that the cuts would exacerbate existing challenges in maintaining Pacific language education.
The funding reductions affect several programs, including the Pasifika Early Literacy Project, which provided professional development to teachers and supported numerous schools and early learning settings in Auckland and Wellington.
Other impacted initiatives include the Pacific Instructional Series, Pacific Bilingual eBooks, and Pacific Bilingual Mathematics Resources.
Despite these cuts, Pauline Cleaver, the Ministry of Education’s Acting Deputy Secretary, maintained that Pacific language learning remains a priority. She said, “The ministry continues to invest significant, targeted funding in a range of areas, including resources and support for Pacific learners and professional learning opportunities for teachers of Pacific Bilingual and Immersion settings.”
However, Taleni argued that these cuts disrupt the continuity of previous efforts. he said, “The ministry has done some great work in Pacific education over the years. But these cuts disrupt continuity. You can’t build momentum and then suddenly stop after one or two years.”
Statistics from the 2018 Census indicate a decline in the number of Pacific language speakers in New Zealand. Despite Pacific people comprising over eight percent of the population, only 37% can speak their native languages.
Over the past 15 years, there has been a significant decrease in ethnic language speakers, with Tongan among those experiencing major declines. UNESCO has classified some languages, such as Tokelauan, as severely endangered.
The Ministry of Education confirmed that no consultation with schools, teachers, or Pacific communities took place before the funding cuts were made.
