Abstract
This paper elaborates on the significance of family tradition on the students’ successful achievement in education. This factor was highlighted as one of the indicators for the students’ educational success in Lipine’s (2010) research and recommended as an important area to be exploited for cultural and educational development. In New Zealand, changes are being made to assist education of Pasifika students and those were significant to success of some students. However, the failure rate of Pasifika students is still higher than that of the other ethnic groups, and the need to investigate resolutions for this trend is seriously considered. The literature indicates the need for educational systems to be responsive to the multiple worlds of minority students. Thirty six Samoan students from high schools were interviewed and their views were analysed to verify factors that are important for academic success. Thematic analysis identified three themes; First, the passion to achieve. Second, the capacity to deal with inconsistencies. Third, the importance of a holistic orientation. Each of these rests upon a strong family orientation as being important. Recommendations arising from the study are outlined.
Keywords: Family, Tradition, Culture, Learning, Samoa
