The ‘Langa Ako Pasifika Initiative’ (LAPI) consists of 21+ academic and professional Pasifika staff with a conviction and purpose to engage Pasifika cultures as a vehicle to motivate and support learning as well as developing and enhancing the identities of our learners.
‘Langa Ako’ as a Tongan concept combines the dual meanings of ‘langa’ (build) and ‘ako’ (education) to encompass the drive of this LAPI. With the Pasifika and Maori learners at the very tail of the persistent disparity in the achievements of secondary students nationally, we as Pasifika teachers of the school should no longer be sidelined, but must walk an extra mile to help our Pasifika learners to improve their learning.
LAPI seeks to help the current ‘langa ako’ of the college by providing a Pasifika Cultural Responsive Framework for teaching intervention based on ‘Tapasa’ at the same time to engaging parents and Pasifika communities in building the cultural competence of our learners.