C. Frances Koya Vaka'uta
Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Human Rights and Social Development, Team Leader, Culture for Development
The University of the South Pacific, Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, Associate Dean Research & Internationalisation
Associate Professor Frances C. Koya Vaka‘uta has been the Team Leader for Culture for Development at the Pacific Community in Suva, Fiji, since 2021. Before this, she spent 23 years at the University of the South Pacific, teaching and researching in teacher education, curriculum studies, Pacific approaches to research, Pacific studies, and Pacific arts and culture.
Throughout her career, Frances has held several leadership and management roles, including Director of the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies and Associate Dean of Research at the Faculty of Arts, Law, and Education. She is deeply passionate about Pacific arts, cultural and creative industries, and contextual education, safeguarding indigenous knowledge, Pacific research methodologies and Culturally responsive approaches to development.
Her academic work includes a master’s thesis on multicultural education in Fiji and a doctoral study exploring Pacific conceptions of education for sustainable development and resilience through Samoan and Tongan heritage arts. She has also developed and taught over 20 courses across face-to-face, distance, and online learning modalities.
Phone: 00 679 2300466
Address: Oceania Center for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, Faculty of Arts, Law & Education, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, PMB Suva Fiji Islands
Throughout her career, Frances has held several leadership and management roles, including Director of the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies and Associate Dean of Research at the Faculty of Arts, Law, and Education. She is deeply passionate about Pacific arts, cultural and creative industries, and contextual education, safeguarding indigenous knowledge, Pacific research methodologies and Culturally responsive approaches to development.
Her academic work includes a master’s thesis on multicultural education in Fiji and a doctoral study exploring Pacific conceptions of education for sustainable development and resilience through Samoan and Tongan heritage arts. She has also developed and taught over 20 courses across face-to-face, distance, and online learning modalities.
Phone: 00 679 2300466
Address: Oceania Center for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, Faculty of Arts, Law & Education, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, PMB Suva Fiji Islands
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Books by C. Frances Koya Vaka'uta
Pacific stories of Sustainable Living is intended to stimulate reflection and discussion on local conceptions of ESD in order to engage students, scholars, institutions and the wider Pacific community in an ongoing dialogue that will inform contemporary practice.The contributors share the view that remembering and realigning beliefs, attitudes and behavior may provide contextual solutions to existing and emerging challenges faced in the region.
Papers by C. Frances Koya Vaka'uta
learning for resilience in preparing the Pacific child as an emerging leader and agent of change. The argument is made for an educational rethink drawing on core themes of what resilience means and what sustainability looks like in the Pacific. It highlights Pacific youth issues and challenges against a backdrop of regional ecological tensions and global challenges. Informed by global shifts, regional thinking and local needs, a glocal approach is advocated to enable culturally relevant, critical and creative thinking about what and who education is for. At the regional level, the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) 2018–2030 provides a 12-year framework promoting equitable access to high quality education for all, and the Pacific Regional Culture Strategy 2022–2032 sets the culture for development agenda. While it is heartening to see a culture-positive approach to education and development at the policy level, the test of time will indicate whether we have the political will, commitment and capacity to deliver on these aspirational priorities. A future-proof education may not be possible, but the ever-changing Pacific development context means that an adaptable futures-thinking approach is essential. Central to this rethinking is the return to source, looking closely at
culture, language and indigenous knowledge systems. On the one hand, there is an urgency to ensure continuity and revitalisation of those aspects of our ways of life that are at risk. At the same time, there remains a critical need to ensure transmission of knowledge and skills that strengthen our collective resilience, ensuring our ability to adapt to future challenges. By focusing on these two dual priorities in education, we might be better able to nurture resilient individuals and households for truly sustainable Pacific societies for the future
This paper is based on the findings of a qualitative study exploring the views of contemporary cultural communities on the cultural memory and practice of tapa in Samoa and Tonga. It begins from the premise that Tongan occupation of Samoa, believed to have lasted about 300 years and ending around 1300 A.D. (Meleisea 1987), invariably resulted in shared cultural practice and ideologies. Tapa culture is posited as a significant epistemological site of Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The process of meaning-making in symbolic interactionism is examined through the lens of the motif as cultural symbol and textual narrative. Additionally, the spiritual concept of vā (relational space) is presented as a life philosophy reinforced through the lived experience and practice of tapa culture. The main assertion is the idea that holistic understanding of tapa requires a re-positioning of narrative that begins from an indigenous standpoint (Koya Vaka’uta, 2013).
in the small island developing state of Fiji, in the South Pacific. A North-
South research partnership was built upon previous collaboration
between team members and, in so doing, pioneered the blending of
Pacific and Western research approaches sensitive to a postcolonial
positioning. The study interrogates practitioner perspectives on: the
nature and quality of teachers and teaching in Fiji; the challenges of
teachers’ work and lives; priorities for successful qualitative reform;
and theoretical implications for the processes of education policy
transfer and qualitative improvement. The analysis draws upon
work on the politics of aid and international development, revealing
tensions between existing learner-centred policy frameworks and
emergent neoliberal and performativity oriented initiatives influenced
by international surveys of student achievement, related league tables
and the experience of the regional reference societies of Australia,
New Zealand and India.
Koya, C.F (2016). Straight Talk & Crooked Thinking: Transforming Pacific Learning, Teaching and Teacher Education as an Education for Sustainability Initiative, In Weaving Theory and Practice in Teacher Education in Oceania: Vaka Pasifiki 2 Conference Proceedings, Eds. Kabini Sanga, Toumu’a. R., & Johannson-Fua, J, Institute of Education, Tonga Campus, The University of the South Pacific.
With the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development nearing its end (2005 – 2014), it is disheartening to find that for many ESD remains poorly defined and reserved for scholarly and developmental discourse. Others see ESD as separate and distinct from other educational instruments and in this view may be cumbersome – an additional instrument that needs to be mainstreamed or integrated. Still others believe that ESD has the potential to bring together diverse interests and agendas under one principle vision – of sustainability and education for the future. However one chooses to view ESD, it is undeniable that the movement has become a dominant discourse in education with focused international, regional and national debates on how best to devise curricula for mainstreaming sustainability in basic education both formally and non-formally.
A case may be made for ESD as both a philosophy and a methodology. As a philosophy it guides vision-making and helps to set the broader goals of education. This is relatively easy to do. As a methodology however, there are real pedagogical implications– that is what and why teachers’ do what they do and how they do this. In the wider Pacific context, the challenge of curriculum-full and resource-empty realities pose a threat to realizing the vision of education for a sustainable future. A potential outcome of such a reality may very well be “Education about Sustainable Development” rather than “Educating for Sustainable Societies”. In the former, the emphasis is learning about what SD is, i.e. SD content curricula is identified, taught and assessed. In the latter, sustainability, including both SD and sustainable livelihoods are seen as long-term learning outcomes of the schooling experience.
From the onset, it should be obvious that a “Healthy” society is at the heart of ESD. Healthy populations are essential to ensuring Sustainable Societies, Economies and Environments – the three pillars on which SD and ESD are constructed upon. This paper provides some insight into Health and Well-being as central to the broader ESD Mainstreaming effort within formal education. It also provides a theoretical framework for curriculum mapping of ESD within the Health Promoting Schools Program in Fiji.
Our involvement in the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative discourse has informed our ways of conceptualizing and approaching Pacific Contemporary Art development in the Islands. For the last fifteen years we have been involved in Pacific Art and Educational Discourse and pedagogy at the University of the South Pacific. The philosophical standpoint of the Rethinking Movement resonated with our own educational experiences and highlighted the need for awareness, training and education, leadership, research, dialogue and publication in the arts. Moreover it emphasized the post-colonial reality of hegemonic Western paradigms of conceptualizing Pacific Art and artists. Pacific island artists and their works continue to be marginalized, relegated to the periphery of Contemporary Pacific Art discourse with artists of Pacific heritage living in diaspora claiming primary attention, development and support from the global and often regional community.
This Tala reflects our reflections, re-thinking and journeying towards a sustainable arts industry through purposeful efforts in arts education and training, capacity building, leadership and research in the arts and the establishment of the Pacific Island Arts Initiative in 2012.
Pacific stories of Sustainable Living is intended to stimulate reflection and discussion on local conceptions of ESD in order to engage students, scholars, institutions and the wider Pacific community in an ongoing dialogue that will inform contemporary practice.The contributors share the view that remembering and realigning beliefs, attitudes and behavior may provide contextual solutions to existing and emerging challenges faced in the region.
learning for resilience in preparing the Pacific child as an emerging leader and agent of change. The argument is made for an educational rethink drawing on core themes of what resilience means and what sustainability looks like in the Pacific. It highlights Pacific youth issues and challenges against a backdrop of regional ecological tensions and global challenges. Informed by global shifts, regional thinking and local needs, a glocal approach is advocated to enable culturally relevant, critical and creative thinking about what and who education is for. At the regional level, the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) 2018–2030 provides a 12-year framework promoting equitable access to high quality education for all, and the Pacific Regional Culture Strategy 2022–2032 sets the culture for development agenda. While it is heartening to see a culture-positive approach to education and development at the policy level, the test of time will indicate whether we have the political will, commitment and capacity to deliver on these aspirational priorities. A future-proof education may not be possible, but the ever-changing Pacific development context means that an adaptable futures-thinking approach is essential. Central to this rethinking is the return to source, looking closely at
culture, language and indigenous knowledge systems. On the one hand, there is an urgency to ensure continuity and revitalisation of those aspects of our ways of life that are at risk. At the same time, there remains a critical need to ensure transmission of knowledge and skills that strengthen our collective resilience, ensuring our ability to adapt to future challenges. By focusing on these two dual priorities in education, we might be better able to nurture resilient individuals and households for truly sustainable Pacific societies for the future
This paper is based on the findings of a qualitative study exploring the views of contemporary cultural communities on the cultural memory and practice of tapa in Samoa and Tonga. It begins from the premise that Tongan occupation of Samoa, believed to have lasted about 300 years and ending around 1300 A.D. (Meleisea 1987), invariably resulted in shared cultural practice and ideologies. Tapa culture is posited as a significant epistemological site of Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The process of meaning-making in symbolic interactionism is examined through the lens of the motif as cultural symbol and textual narrative. Additionally, the spiritual concept of vā (relational space) is presented as a life philosophy reinforced through the lived experience and practice of tapa culture. The main assertion is the idea that holistic understanding of tapa requires a re-positioning of narrative that begins from an indigenous standpoint (Koya Vaka’uta, 2013).
in the small island developing state of Fiji, in the South Pacific. A North-
South research partnership was built upon previous collaboration
between team members and, in so doing, pioneered the blending of
Pacific and Western research approaches sensitive to a postcolonial
positioning. The study interrogates practitioner perspectives on: the
nature and quality of teachers and teaching in Fiji; the challenges of
teachers’ work and lives; priorities for successful qualitative reform;
and theoretical implications for the processes of education policy
transfer and qualitative improvement. The analysis draws upon
work on the politics of aid and international development, revealing
tensions between existing learner-centred policy frameworks and
emergent neoliberal and performativity oriented initiatives influenced
by international surveys of student achievement, related league tables
and the experience of the regional reference societies of Australia,
New Zealand and India.
Koya, C.F (2016). Straight Talk & Crooked Thinking: Transforming Pacific Learning, Teaching and Teacher Education as an Education for Sustainability Initiative, In Weaving Theory and Practice in Teacher Education in Oceania: Vaka Pasifiki 2 Conference Proceedings, Eds. Kabini Sanga, Toumu’a. R., & Johannson-Fua, J, Institute of Education, Tonga Campus, The University of the South Pacific.
With the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development nearing its end (2005 – 2014), it is disheartening to find that for many ESD remains poorly defined and reserved for scholarly and developmental discourse. Others see ESD as separate and distinct from other educational instruments and in this view may be cumbersome – an additional instrument that needs to be mainstreamed or integrated. Still others believe that ESD has the potential to bring together diverse interests and agendas under one principle vision – of sustainability and education for the future. However one chooses to view ESD, it is undeniable that the movement has become a dominant discourse in education with focused international, regional and national debates on how best to devise curricula for mainstreaming sustainability in basic education both formally and non-formally.
A case may be made for ESD as both a philosophy and a methodology. As a philosophy it guides vision-making and helps to set the broader goals of education. This is relatively easy to do. As a methodology however, there are real pedagogical implications– that is what and why teachers’ do what they do and how they do this. In the wider Pacific context, the challenge of curriculum-full and resource-empty realities pose a threat to realizing the vision of education for a sustainable future. A potential outcome of such a reality may very well be “Education about Sustainable Development” rather than “Educating for Sustainable Societies”. In the former, the emphasis is learning about what SD is, i.e. SD content curricula is identified, taught and assessed. In the latter, sustainability, including both SD and sustainable livelihoods are seen as long-term learning outcomes of the schooling experience.
From the onset, it should be obvious that a “Healthy” society is at the heart of ESD. Healthy populations are essential to ensuring Sustainable Societies, Economies and Environments – the three pillars on which SD and ESD are constructed upon. This paper provides some insight into Health and Well-being as central to the broader ESD Mainstreaming effort within formal education. It also provides a theoretical framework for curriculum mapping of ESD within the Health Promoting Schools Program in Fiji.
Our involvement in the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative discourse has informed our ways of conceptualizing and approaching Pacific Contemporary Art development in the Islands. For the last fifteen years we have been involved in Pacific Art and Educational Discourse and pedagogy at the University of the South Pacific. The philosophical standpoint of the Rethinking Movement resonated with our own educational experiences and highlighted the need for awareness, training and education, leadership, research, dialogue and publication in the arts. Moreover it emphasized the post-colonial reality of hegemonic Western paradigms of conceptualizing Pacific Art and artists. Pacific island artists and their works continue to be marginalized, relegated to the periphery of Contemporary Pacific Art discourse with artists of Pacific heritage living in diaspora claiming primary attention, development and support from the global and often regional community.
This Tala reflects our reflections, re-thinking and journeying towards a sustainable arts industry through purposeful efforts in arts education and training, capacity building, leadership and research in the arts and the establishment of the Pacific Island Arts Initiative in 2012.
Presentation at the Workshop on Indigenous Knowledge, Contemporary Art and Education in Fiji , Jointly hosted by School of Education, University of the South Pacific and the Fiji Arts Council, Department of National Heritage, Culture and the Arts, Ministry of Education, Fiji , Held at the University of the South Pacific , Laucala Campus, Suva Fiji. March 15 – 17, 2012."