The grand opening of Fonua ‘Alaha Manongi Kindergarten, the first Tongan language nest with Auckland Kindergarten Association, was March 2023. A partnership between the Ōtāhuhu Tongan community and the Auckland Kindergarten Association from day one, feedback from parents and teachers is that cultural engagement in early childhood benefits children’s learning.
“This kindergarten was co-designed with the community using the 'Kakala Framework',” says Pandy Hawke, Community and Enviroschool Coordinator. The Kakala Framework is a Tongan model that uses a garland (or kahoa) as a metaphor and analogy. The process for making the kahoa is applied in the co-design of the kindergarten and in the children's learning.
Engaging with food, language and culture
For teachers Lupe Vaka, Mele Tongotongo and head teacher, Emalata (Ema) Lutui, early childhood education is an opportunity to build children’s understanding of food (kai) culturally.
“In Tongan communities, we use kai to show respect for visitors,” says Mele. “It’s also a way for us to share a slice of our culture. The children love being part of the food preparation process and they feel very proud.”
Mixing culture and food is part of the kindergarten’s recipe for success, as teachers found that children can learn both the Tongan language and table manners during mealtimes.
“Some of our parents are surprised how fast their child’s vocabulary can grow in a short amount of time,” says Ema.
Building a sense of community inside and outside of early childhood education
Over the past months, Ema and her team found opportunities for their children to get involved in the community, creating a sense of belonging for children and parents at the kindergarten.
“We’re a big supporter of language weeks. Families love coming together to do things like weaving and gardening,” says Ema.
“We put on a fashion show during Tongan Language Week to showcase cultural dress for the children, and we create relationships with other early learning services. This year, we partnered with a kōhanga reo for Tongan Language Week in Northland to share our culture and participated in the ANZAC parade.”
At the kindergarten, children have a large, supervised play area with green spaces to explore. The kindergarten stays open during term breaks to provide parents with options for the school holidays.
This year, the teaching team established a transition-to-school programme with Ōtāhuhu Primary School to bring continuity to their children’s learning.
“We want to empower our children with language and culture,” says Mele. “When our children leave, we want them to go into the community and flourish.”
Tips from Fonua'Alaha Manongi Kindergarten