In our Term 2 Tumuaki Principal Speaks column, Banapa Avatea, Principal, Flat Bush School, and 2025 Leadership Advisor – Pacific Te Mahau | Te Tai Raro shares his perspectives on culturally responsive pedagogy and its importance in helping ākonga to feel valued.
No Kūki ‘Āirani raua Ngāti Pakeha aku tupuna
I whānau ahau I Ōtahuhu
I tupu ahau I Papatoetoe
Kei Karaka e noho ana au
Ko Banapa Avatea toku ingoa
I was born and raised and continue to live in the beautiful Southside of Tāmaki Makaurau. I attended the Auckland College of Education and have taught in schools in Manurewa, Ōtara and Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly).
Read the latest print edition of School News online HERE.
I have been a principal for 12 years and I’m currently the principal of Flat Bush Primary School (FBS) in Ōtara. I have also been the principal of Huntly West School which is where I started my journey in principalship. I am incredibly passionate about school leadership and supporting our principals.
It is for that reason that in 2025 I am on secondment, working at Te Tahuhu ō Mātauranga (The Ministry of Education) as the Leadership Advisor Pasifika.
Flat Bush Primary School opened in 1964 and is home to our beautiful tamariki in Years 1 to 6. Our school roll is 76 percent Pasifika, 21 percent Māori and 3 percent other ethnicities. We have three Samoan bilingual classrooms and are looking ahead to the time when we can open bilingual classes in Tongan, Niuean, Kūki Āirani and Te Reo Māori languages. We have a dedicated and hard-working staff who are fully supported by our amazing FBS whānau, Board of Trustees and our wider learning community.
Our school’s vision is “Kia angitu tātou katoa—Success for all”.
The power of culturally sustaining leadership in education
There is a well-known Samoan proverb: O le ala i le pule o le tautua: the path to leadership is through service. This wisdom has been passed down through generations, emphasising that true leadership is not about authority but about serving and uplifting others.
In the context of education, this proverb reminds us that as leaders, teachers, and advocates, our role is to serve our Pasifika and Māori ākonga by creating learning environments where they can thrive.
At FBS we have done this by ensuring that our ākonga are experiencing rich learning tasks that are based within cultural contexts, that are familiar and maximise their prior knowledge and expertise. This parallels the pastoral care and support systems that wrap around all of our FBS ākonga and whānau.
We are active in our support for, and of, our community. At FBS we strive to find opportunities to involve our whānau in our school. From our start of the year whānau picnic, cultural celebrations, language weeks, Talanoa Ako interschool and after school sports, Kapahaka, fono, hui, and much, much more we maintain and strengthen the connection we have with our whānau and community.
A proverb from our Kūki ‘Āirani tūpuna reminds us “Kia puāria te kaki, kia mokorā te kaki—Let the mind be clear and the neck be alert.” This speaks to the importance of education as a means of preparing and strengthening young minds.
At FBS, this reminds us that clarity of purpose and attentiveness to the cultural needs of our ākonga are essential to fostering success.
Paeariki Johnson, the esteemed former Principal of Rongomai Primary School in Ōtara, was well known for her powerful words: “Don’t teach me my culture, but use my culture to teach me.” This statement encapsulates the essence of culturally sustaining education.
It is not enough to acknowledge culture in passing or celebrate it on special occasions; we must actively weave it into the way we teach, the way we lead, and the way we uplift our ākonga. Education should never be a process of assimilation; instead, it should be a journey of affirmation, where the cultural identities of our ākonga are not just recognised but celebrated.
At FBS we have designed our local curriculum by weaving inquiry themes into the cultural spaces that reflect who we are. These are supported by the Tapasā framework and aligned with the Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030.
For example, in 2024 we constructed all our learning experiences within the theme of ‘Navigation’. The overarching understanding was that we all have travelled from somewhere to be where we are today, and we are all navigators with our own culture, heritage and identity.
Paralleling these themes is our common and enduring belief that “we are all storytellers, and we all have a story to tell”. The collective sharing of the stories of our whānau, our whakapapa and who we are, have brought our school and our community even closer.
The opening of our Samoan bilingual classrooms in 2024 was another time of celebration. The space was named by our community O le Fogavaa e tasi (one family, one canoe). These classrooms were a direct response to the wishes of our community, they had been very clear that bilingual was the way to go.
Research by leading Pasifika and Māori educators reinforces the importance of this approach. Dr Rae Si‘ilata has highlighted the significance of bilingual education and the ways it strengthens cultural identity while accelerating academic success.
As an educator and leader in Aotearoa, I have seen firsthand the transformative power of culturally responsive leadership. Our Pasifika and Māori ākonga thrive when their identities, languages, and cultures are not only acknowledged but actively embraced and given space and time in their learning experiences.
The question we must ask ourselves, and one that I ask myself is:
How do we ensure that our Pasifika and Māori ākonga feel a strong sense of belonging in our schools?
This is where culturally sustaining leadership plays a critical role in shaping a more equitable and inclusive education system.
Our culture leading learning
For too long, Pasifika and Māori ākonga have been measured against a system that does not always reflect their strengths, values, or ways of learning. Research and lived experiences tell us that ākonga do better academically and socially when they see themselves in their learning environments.
Culturally sustaining pedagogy is not just a strategy, it is a commitment to ensuring our ākonga feel valued every day.
Identity plays a foundational role in a tamaiti’s learning journey. When tamaiti see themselves in the curriculum, in their teachers, and in the leadership of their schools, they develop confidence and a strong sense of self-worth.
Conversely, when identity is ignored or minimised, ākonga may disengage from learning. In the worst cases, they may internalise a belief that their cultural background is not important or relevant.
At FBS our tamaiti know that being Māori and Pasifika is your superpower, that your culture is a taonga and all that comes with it makes you stronger than any Marvel character. Our tamaiti bring their whole self into school every day. They do not leave any part of their culture, their heritage, their identity, at the gate.
During my time as tumuaki of Huntly West School, I saw first-hand the impact of fostering a strong cultural identity. We actively integrated te reo Māori into daily teaching, ensuring that Māori ākonga felt that their language and heritage were valued. Whānau were encouraged to be part of our kura and were part of learning that reflected the lived experiences of our ākonga.
The result was greater engagement and a stronger sense of pride in our kura, our town, and ourselves.
Pasifika and Māori researchers such as Renee Tuifagalele, Jean M Uasike Allen, and Rāhera Meinders continue to advocate for education systems that affirm ākonga’ identities. Roberta and Jodie Hunter’s work in mathematics education has shown how culturally responsive teaching practices improve outcomes by connecting numeracy learning with ākonga’ lived experiences and cultural knowledge.
FBS was one of the first schools to use the Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) teaching and learning approach though we knew it as Pasifika or `Bobbie’ Maths. The collaborative and collective approach that DMIC nurtures connects with our ākonga, as it is familiar to their life outside of school within their own whānau.
Inspired and empowered
In my ongoing leadership journey, I have been very fortunate to have had the support, guidance and inspiration of fellow Pasifika educators within the New Zealand Pasifika Principals Association (NZPPA).
I was privileged to be part of the first wave of The Tautai o le Moana (TOLM) leadership initiative which was established to strengthen educational leadership for the success of Pacific learners in Aotearoa.
TOLM has been designed for all principals, regardless of ethnicity. It provides a culturally rich space to deepen understanding, share expertise, and develop leadership strategies that honour Pacific identities, languages, and cultures.
It was spearheaded by key educational leaders such as Tukuitonga Vea, Dr Rae Si‘ilata, Fiso John Tapueluelu, Filivaifale Jason Swann, Helen Varney, Sose Annandale and Faatili Iosua Esera. Tautai o le Moana fosters collective wisdom and culturally responsive practices.
For me personally, I was inspired, empowered and challenged to ensure that in my school we were providing for our ākonga a learning environment that would support them to thrive and succeed, ‘kia angitu tātou katoa’.
Final thoughts
Uplifting Pasifika and Māori ākonga requires a shift from viewing culture as an ‘add-on’ to embedding it into the foundation of our education system. It starts with leadership, extends into curriculum, and is strengthened by whānau and community collaboration.
When we affirm the identity of our ākonga, we empower them to excel. The research and expertise of scholars such as Dr Rae Si‘ilata, Melinda Webber, Russell Bishop, Dr Teremoana Maua-Hodges, Dr Kabini Sanga, Roberta and Jodie Hunter, Renee Tuifagalele, Jean M Uasike Allen, and Rāhera Meinders reinforce what we see in our classrooms every day—when ākonga feel a sense of belonging, their learning outcomes improve.
I am grateful that we are in a time of change, and this change will continue to grow and strengthen with leadership that is committed to ensuring success for all. Meitaki atupaka, kia manuia.
