Download Glenda Stanley - "State of the Pacific 2014"

State of the Pacific 2014
19 June 2014
Australian National University
Glenda Stanley, Principal Cultural Diversity Officer
Cultural Diversity Queensland | South East Queensland (South)
1
Pacific Island Peoples in Queensland
 Country of Birth is not a good indicator for Pasifika communities as a
significant number were born in Australia and New Zealand
 Ancestry reveals that in 2011 there were over 96,000 claims of
Pasifika ancestry (2.2% of the Queensland population)
 Of these groups Maori were the largest ancestral group, followed by
Samoan, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Fijian and Tongan
 Queensland has the largest Pasifika population in Australia
 Brisbane, Logan and Gold Coast are the LGAs with the largest
numbers of Pasifika peoples in Queensland.
 One of the the most culturally diverse regions in Queensland with
26.7% (or over 200,000) of the population born overseas (c.f
Queensland at 20.5%)
Pasifika in Queensland and NSW*
*Selected Pasifika Groups only
Pasifika in South East Queensland (South)
SEQS has a significant and growing Pasifika community
• 215 ethnic communities in Logan City (Logan City
Council 2013)
• Samoan is the most frequently spoken non-English
language in Logan City
• Pasifika students comprise more than 50% of the
student population at some schools in South East
Queensland.
•
This includes a significant number of people of Pasifika
heritage who are New Zealand citizens.
• Logan City has the highest number of humanitarian
refugees in Queensland
Post-Secondary Pathways for Pacific Island
Young People in South East QLD
Dr Judith Kearney & Dr Matthew Glen
[email protected]
[email protected]
School of Education & Professional Studies
Research Focus
• Where do young people go after secondary school?
• What differences emerge for these young people based on
citizenship (NZ compared with Australian), ethnicity
(PI/Maori compared with Caucasian)?
• What are the main factors influencing post-secondary
pathways for these young people?
Methodology & Participants
• Survey with 490 respondents – target group post-18 year olds
attending church groups in the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Gold
Coast LGA.
• 70% Pacific Islander/Maori (80% of these Samoan)– 26%
Caucasian (control group).
• One third from low SES suburbs (SEIFA index)
• Focus groups (4) with PI groups and selected individual
interviews.
• Trained pool of young co-facilitators who lead focus groups in
selected locations.
What we know about education outcomes for
PI young people.
Majority (90%) are
completing Year 12.
Just over half (54%)
have certificate level
qualifications (Cert I-IV).
Higher level of
certificate qualifications
(54% to 30%) than
Caucasian group
• Low completion rate of
tertiary diploma/degree
qualifications:
 NZ PI ……
 AUST PI ………
Caucasian group..
10%
21%
37%
Type of education or training by citizenship and
ethnicity
Type of education or NZ & PI/M
training
N=243
AUS & PI/M
N=125
AUS & Caucasian
N=121
None undertaken
76%
60.5%
40%
Trainee/cadetship
4.5%
4%
2%
Apprenticeship
4%
1.5%
3%
TAFE cert/diploma
11.5%
21%
10%
Undergrad. degree
7%
13%
42%
Post-grad. degree
-
1%
5%
University participation rates are significantly lower for all PI groups
whether NZ or AUST citizens.
AUST PI more likely to be engaged in training pathways than their
peers.
What we know about employment outcomes for PI
young people.
Employment status
Full-time work (> 36+
hrs per week)
Part-time work (< 25
hrs per week)
Not employed as fulltime student
Not
employed
–
looking for work
Not employed – NOT
looking for work
Not able to work
NZ & PI/M
N=243
AUS & PI/M
N=125
AUS & Caucasian
N=121
44%
30.5%
35%
28%
25%
39%
5.5%
7%
9%
20.5%
23.5%
11%
1%
8%
2.5%
1%
-
-
1%
5%
3.5%
Other
AUST PI young people have lowest level of work engagement and
marginally higher level of unemployment than their NZ PI peers.
What we know about factors influencing PI
young people in education & career choices?
Rotated Component Matrix
I am very interested or motivated to continue my education
I have plans to undertake further education or training for my career
I feel confident to undertake further education
I think it is important for my future to obtain as much education as possible
Positive
attitudes
0.834
0.820
0.816
0.748
I believe I have the ability to be successful with further study
I want to improve my qualifications by further study
I know how to obtain advice on the career that best suits my skills
I am unable to continue with further education due to a lack of finances
Further education is too expensive for me
My parents expect me to work to help with family finances
Many of my friends have continued with their education after high school
0.730
0.707
0.539
In my family, studying after Year 12 is considered very important
In high school, my teachers encouraged me to continue my education.
Other members of my family have completed further education
Cronbach’s Alpha
0.312
Negative
attitudes
Important
others
0.272
0.914
0.899
0.807
0.700
.872
.850
0.688
0.681
0.680
.658
Whilst most PI young people have positive attitudes towards education, their
level of participation is largely influenced by financial constraints – a
combination of HECS ineligibility for NZ PI and parental expectations about
putting work before education.
What we know about context factors that
support and constrain PI young people
+ Plus +
• Some young people highly
motivated to become successful
in improving career options.
• Small number of parents very
supportive and willing to sacrifice
to assist who were studying.
• Strong positive influence and
encouragement of peers, friends,
teachers and church leaders.
• Those ‘first in family’ to attend
university felt pressure to fulfil
expectations – skilled mentors
have critical role in first year.
- Minus • Parental expectations were very
high, and somewhat unrealistic, for
those studying and caused distress
if outcomes were less than
expected.
• Many parents had difficulty
understanding the higher education
environment and often limited by
poor English language skills –
communication complexity.
• Poor study environment in the home
and lack of appreciation about the
time demands for tertiary level
study.
• PI young people entering university
are often under-prepared for tertiary
study – fear of failure/shame.