Source: Joe Public PR
New Zealand Methodist Sinoti Samoa celebrates the achievements of 82 graduates
“E fofo le Alamea, le Alamea – the solutions for our communities lie within our communities.”
More than 80 members of Auckland’s Samoan community celebrated their graduation from an Intensive Literacy and Numeracy course designed to lift adult literacy and numeracy skills, and create education pathways that can lead to meaningful employment.
This month, Sinoti Samoa graduates shook hands with the Minister of Pacific Peoples, the right honourable Minister Aupito William Sio, and the Methodist Church of New Zealand Superintendent of the Samoan Synod Reverent Paulo at a ceremony in St Paul’s Church, Otara.
Skills Consulting Group Chief Pacific Advisor Manu Palelei said since May, the Group’s tertiary training college, Ignite Colleges, has been providing the tools and fees-free numeracy and literacy programme to students from nine churches. She said the course content was tailored to the needs of each church community,
“For many of our graduates, the learning was life-changing, particularly for the older generation without access to fundamental skills, like digital literacy. While the course design improves literacy and numeracy, it was delivered in such a way that students improved digital literacy too,” said Palelei.
“Since COVID, Church meetings are pushed online – how does a community with low digital skills learn to do this? The course navigated them through online safety, running online meetings, setting up email accounts and writing emails etc. They embedded literacy, numeracy and digital skills with naturally occurring events and situations.”
Skills Consulting Group Chief Executive Rosanne Graham said the programme was delivered with the Methodist Church of New Zealand and the Sinoti Samoan community, a group of eleven churches.
“It was run as a true partnership. Ignite Colleges brought the tools and programme of learning to the churches, and the church leaders rallied their village acting as the link between the student cohorts and the College. We thought we were coming to teach, but instead, we became the student as we took away so many learnings from the leaders about how to best engage with their communities,” said Graham.
Nine of eleven Sinoti Samoa churches were involved in the course.
“The others will join our 2023 Intensive Literacy and Numeracy course, and we’re exploring how we can extend the programme to other Pacific communities.
“It was thrilling to hear graduates ask when they can sign up for learning at the next level – we hope this is not the end of their journey, but just the start of their lifelong learning.”
Palelei said low literacy and numeracy skills impact around one-fifth of New Zealanders.
“Over half of Pacific adults in New Zealand have low numeracy skills and one-third low literacy skills. This impacts their ability to fully engage in daily life, limiting opportunities for their families and communities.”
She said the Government’s Tertiary Education Strategy recognises that lifting the performance of Pacific people is vital.
“Better education can benefit a student’s whole family and put them on a pathway to financial security.
“For our Sinoti Samoa graduates, each is better equipped with more skills and knowledge to move successfully to employment – they have given themselves and their families a brighter and fulfilling future.”
