Submissions
We advocate for systemic change through strategic submissions to government, centring Pasifika voices, challenging inequities, and shaping education policy and practice across Australia.
APEN Statement: Release of the Australian Human Rights Commission Racism@Uni Study Report
The Australian Pasifika Educators Network (APEN) acknowledges the recent release of the Australian Human Rights Commission's Respect at Uni: Study into antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations people report as part of the Racism@Uni Study examining the prevalence, nature and impact of racism at Australian Universities.
We welcome the visibility this report gives to the experiences of Pasifika and Māori people in Australian universities and acknowledge the courage of every person who contributed their story to this landmark study.
APEN defines Pasifika as peoples and communities who are genealogically, spiritually and culturally connected to the lands, the skies and the seas of the Pacific region, including Aotearoa New Zealand. We note the findings for each group separately here because the report does so.
The data is stark: 75.8% of Pasifika respondents and 73.3% of Māori respondents reported experiencing racism in Australian universities. These are not marginal figures. They reflect what our communities have long named.
Our network spans the full education sector across Australia. We exist to support and advocate for Pasifika educators and learners, and we hold universities accountable for the conditions they create and enable for our communities.
We are committed to responding to this report with the depth and care it deserves. APEN will convene a talanoa with our members and those within the Pasifika community, to read and discuss this report together, before publishing a formal position paper.
APEN is committed to being part of how the sector responds to these findings.
ACT Pacific Studies Shape Paper
This submission responds to the ACT Education Directorate’s Shape Paper for Pacific Studies in Secondary Curriculum.
We offer a critical analysis and recommendations to strengthen the curriculum’s cultural integrity, regional representation, and historical grounding within an Australian context.
APEN has responded to the Australian Government Department of Education's consultation paper on 'Support for students policy' requirements.
APEN champions the development of culturally attuned support for underrepresented students starting university, which include Pasifika students.
The interim report highlighted four key ideas for consideration and improvement in the final report, designed to enhance educational opportunities for Pasifika learners and communities across Australia.
The Australian Government has committed to an Australian Universities Accord to drive lasting and transformative reform in Australia’s higher education system. Read more about our response to the Accord’s Discussion Paper with recommendations for supporting Pasifika learners and communities in Australia.