Te Tumu Seminar: transcending low levels of literacy and numeracy for Pacific people.
Maulupeivao Dr Betty Ofe-Grant
Maulupeivao Dr Betty Ofe-Grant is a lecturer from Auckland University of Technology Business School, researching Pacific peoples’ issues in labour migration, careers, glass ceilings, diversity, gender, intersectionality, literacy and numeracy and work. She is also the acting Vice President for the National Council of Women, New Zealand, and a matai (Samoan chief).
Dr Ofe-Grant will be presenting a seminar in R3S10 (3rd floor of Te Tumu) at 3pm on Thursday 16 March.
This will also be available on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 912 3557 5122
Password: 959841
Password: 959841
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Abstract
Pacific people in New Zealand are among the most disadvantaged ethnic groups who over-represent the adult working-age population with low literacy and numeracy skills. Individuals with low literacy and numeracy tend to experience higher levels of marginalisation, vulnerability, cycles of poverty and significant risks of poor health and well-being.
As part of a five-year mixed method nationwide study led by the New Zealand Work Research Institute, this paper examines the barriers and enablers to transcend low levels of literacy and numeracy for Pacific people. Utilising qualitative focus group discussions founded on Teu le va (relational spaces) and semi-structured Talanoa (storytelling) from 230 Pacific participants, we find that multiple barriers exist at the macro (societal), meso (organisational, schools and training institutions) and micro (individual) levels alongside cultural and familial factors that perpetuated and sustained low literacy and numeracy skills.
