Chapter 14: Pasifika Australia: Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Teaching

I am 15 years old and my name is Viliami. I was born in Tonga and did the first 3 years of primary school there. School was alright and not far from my home. I learned English at school but only during English lessons, and the teacher only spoke English during the lessons. We read books and did spelling tests every day. After the English class we only spoke Tongan.

In June 1997 my family moved to Australia, and after a week I enrolled at a primary school. I enjoyed the school very much because the school had more books and games than the one in Tonga. I also enjoyed watching children’s programs on television after school.