I’ve been reflecting on this because it’s been a very long journey, and at the same time from the legacy of our pioneers in Pasifika ECE like from the early 70’s. It is because of them I am here” – Faalogo Aganoa Dr Jacoba Matapo
With all the achievements and milestones in her academic career, Faalogo Aganoa Dr Jacoba Matapo will always honour the shoulders of the giants she stands on.
Recently appointed as the first ever Pacific professor for Pacific ECE (Early Childhood Education) at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Faalogo reflected on the people who helped shape her into what she is now, starting from her earliest teacher.
“My mother, she came from Samoa in the 60s and she’s a taulasea, so she does the traditional fofo or healing,” Faalogo says.
“Because I have been around this nurturing and wellbeing care of young babies, I have always had this affinity. So my mum is my first teacher; I think that’s where the passion began for me.”
Faalogo gave her inaugural professorial lecture at AUT’s Manukau campus recently where she highlighted Pacific knowledge, language, and cultural practices in early childhood education. She paid tribute to the pioneers who paved the way for her.
“I’ve been reflecting on this because it’s been a very long journey and, at the same time, from the legacy of our pioneers in Pasifika ECE like from the early 1970s. From our Ano Ako Pasifika all the way through to our Aoga Amata, to our Ako a Tongan Language Nests,” she says.
“It is because of them I am here. Their advocacy and their work across Aotearoa New Zealand. So when I see my journey, it’s just a smaller part of my journey into a bigger journey.”
Being able to hold the ceremony in Manukau was a bonus for Faalogo, as AUT has played a special part in her academic journey throughout the years.
AUT Vice-Chancellor Toesulusulu Damon Salesa touched on the importance of Faalogo’s achievements to the Pacific community.
“It’s a great thing for both AUT and the wider Pacific community. Jacoba has had a great year of research and teaching and leadership at university but more broadly at the community. And so today we honour that and make her a professor,” Toesulusulu says.
Also present was Senior Lecturer at AUT Dr Radilaite Cammock, who described the moment as “new territory”.
“We don’t have many professors, in specific disciplines either. So when one of us achieves this type of milestone, it feels like we’re kinda there with them,” she says.
“I know Jacoba has worked really hard to get to this point, it’s wonderful that in her leadership roles, we can kinda see that, and it’s very visible to us and it’s not it hasn’t always been visible, so yeah we celebrate this and we can’t really wait to see what’s next this is kind of new territory for us.”
Although it may be new territory for Faalogo, being able to highlight the Pacific practices and cultures in ECE is something that is not new for her. Through her research and studies and now in her new role, she hopes to champion the Pacific influence in Early Childhood Education.
In a world that is driven mainly from an European perspective, Faalogo hopes she can help change that.
“What this allows now is to think differently, how can we use our local indigenous philosophies, how can we use our local pedagogy and local practices and enrich Samoa and Tonga that isn’t just enriching a European view of education,” Faalogo says.
“I think that’s the exciting part, we’re starting to see a turn around in the region where we’re starting to see an uplift of our indigenous knowledge, and that the only place that it starts really is in the home and in early childhood.”
