Tony Patolo shares about a journey that began with frustration — and turned into initiative, influence, and hope. In this conversation with Billy Revell (Lesson Learnt Host), Tony recalls the first time he started teaching Pacific Studies and immediately felt something was wrong: the subject was undervalued, under‑resourced — not treated as a “real” subject in the way others were.
For Tony, this was more than a problem for one class. It reflected a deeper inequity: thousands of Pasifika learners whose histories, languages, identities and lived realities were sidelined by a curriculum that didn’t see them.
That recognition sparked action. Rather than accept the status quo, Tony began working with the Ministry of Education, pushing for change. His efforts helped move toward a curriculum that respects and reflects Pasifika cultures, histories and values — a curriculum designed to serve Pasifika learners authentically.
If you’d like to watch the full conversation, you can check it out here.
