Pacific Peoples & Education: Why Literacy and Numeracy Still Matter (and What We Can Do About It
- Oct 2
- 4 min read
We had the privilege interviewing Senior Lecturer and Researcher at AUT University Maulupeivao Dr Betty Ofe-Grant (PhD) on the Zeducation Podcast, a respected lecturer, researcher, and proud Pacific leader with a PhD in HR and Organisational Development.
She’s spent years studying how literacy and numeracy impact the lives of Pacific peoples — particularly adults in the workforce.
And what she shared?
It was eye-opening, heartbreaking, but also deeply hopeful.
This conversation hit home. Because at the heart of it, it’s about more than just education. It’s about equity. It’s about cultural identity. It’s about our people being seen, heard, and valued in systems that weren’t always designed with us in mind.
Let’s be Real: The Barriers Are Deep and the Impacts are Real.
Dr. Betty’s research highlighted five key challenges holding Pacific people back when it comes to adult literacy and numeracy:
1. Poverty
“When you’re focused on survival, learning becomes a luxury.”
Impact: When families are struggling to put food on the table, upskilling is the last thing on their minds. This results in limited career mobility, dependence on low-paying jobs, and generational cycles of financial hardship.
2. Misunderstood Cultural Values
“In our culture, silence is a sign of respect — but others often see it as disengagement.”
Impact: Pacific workers can be overlooked for promotions, leadership roles, or learning opportunities — not because they lack ability, but because their quiet strength is misread as weakness. This leads to underrepresentation and untapped potential across industries.
3. Institutional Racism & Unconscious Bias
“From the counter to the classroom, the bias is still there.”
Impact: When people feel judged, excluded, or stereotyped before they even start, they’re less likely to seek help. This creates barriers to accessing education, support services, or even basic encouragement. Over time, it chips away at confidence and ambition.
4. Poorly Designed Training Programs
“You can’t teach someone if you don’t understand where they’re coming from.”
Impact: Courses that don’t reflect the learner's culture, values, or context lead to low engagement and high dropout rates. When programs aren’t accessible such as in timing, location, language, or delivery then the people who need them most, miss out.
5. Undiagnosed Learning Challenges
“Many found out as adults that they had hearing, vision, or learning disabilities they never knew about.”
Impact: Undiagnosed challenges can cause years of frustration, shame, and self-doubt. Without proper diagnosis and support, individuals are blamed for poor performance rather than being empowered to grow with the right tools and training.
The system needs to change — but so do we.
Dr. Betty said something that really stood out:
“No one’s going to do it for you. You have to do it for yourself.”
She’s right. We can’t wait for perfect conditions. We need to lead from where we are — in our families, our communities, our workplaces.
But it’s not just on us.
Employers. Educators. Government. Churches. Communities. Everyone has a role to play.
So what can we do?
Here are a few starting points — and what happens if we get it right:
For Employers:
Invest in your people and not just management, but frontline operational workers too. You’ll improve productivity, retention, and morale — and prepare your business for the future workforce.
Design culturally safe, relevant training — from content to food catering. When learners feel safe and seen, they’re more likely to engage, complete, and apply what they learn.
Bring Pacific voices to the table — in L&D, decision-making, and leadership. Representation drives better outcomes, stronger culture, and real inclusion — not tokenism.
For Training Providers:
Hire facilitators who look like the learners or at least understand them. Cultural connection builds trust, reduces shame, and increases learner confidence.
Use real-world examples and stories learners can relate to. Learners won’t just memorise but they’ll understand, apply, and retain the learning.
Prioritise cultural competency. You’ll avoid disengagement, increase course completion, and see real transformation — not just tick boxes.
For Pacific Communities & Churches:
Take the lead. Build from within. Don’t wait for permission. Community-led initiatives are more relevant, more sustainable, and more trusted by those they serve.
Normalise adult learning. Make it communal, not shameful. You'll empower generations and children grow up seeing learning as normal, not something to fear.
For Pacific Individuals:
Be proactive. The help is out there. Seek it. You’ll break barriers for yourself, and open doors for your children and grandchildren.
Find mentors (both Pacific and non-Pacific). Diverse perspectives can fast-track your growth and give you insight into systems you’ll need to navigate.
Assert yourself with humility. You’ll gain confidence without compromising who you are and others will start seeing your value too.
Get your health checked — hearing, vision, learning needs. One small diagnosis could remove years of silent struggle.
This is About More Than Education.
This is about restoring mana, building confidence, and breaking generational cycles. It’s about equipping our people with the tools to thrive and not just survive.
And we can’t afford to wait.
Final Thoughts
“Representation matters — if you're building programs for Pacific people without Pacific voices at the table, you're not building for us.” – Dr. Betty Ofe-Grant
The future of Aotearoa’s workforce will be Pacific.
So the time to invest in literacy, numeracy, leadership, and wellbeing… is now.
Let’s build systems that reflect who we are. Let’s lead with culture, not around it. Let’s unleash our greatness — together.
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