Student health and wellbeing

The current schooling system finds it difficult to truly engage Pasifika learners and bring out their inner giftedness. While Pasifika giftedness is recognised by Pasifika parents, families, and communities, it is not overtly visible in schools. This article supports teachers and schools to explore the notion of Pasifika giftedness. Pasifika learners are gifted when aspects of their cultures are highlighted.

Gifted students are often grouped by ability, across a continuum of inclusive education provisions, in order to facilitate learning with like-minded peers. The literature on like-mindedness is limited; research investigating preferences for how students and teachers perceive like-minded groupings is also limited. This article reports the results of interviews with four gifted students, their parents and teachers, specifically seeking to understand grouping preferences. The students’ preferences for working in groups were context, activity, and membership dependent.

Currently it is not mandatory for New Zealand high schools to have written policies on how they will respond to their pregnant and mothering students, despite education being a crucial factor in the later success of young mothers. This article explores existing barriers to, and supports for, pregnant and mothering students’ schooling engagement.