By Khalia Strong, PMN
Janice 'Jan' Taouma is remembered as a pioneer of bilingual Pacific early childhood education. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Leading educators are honouring the late Janice 'Jan' Margaret Cockburn Taouma as a powerful advocate for the Samoan language.
Taouma passed away on Saturday in Auckland, surrounded by her family, after battling lung disease. She was 77.
For more than four decades, Taouma championed Pacific language and culture, establishing A'oga Fa'a Samoa, the country's first licensed Samoan-language immersion early childhood centre.
Pauline Winter, the chief executive of the Auckland Kindergarten Association, describes Taouma as a pioneer who was friendly, supportive, and deeply committed.
"Jan was a powerhouse, but also a gentle woman with sparkly eyes and a smile that always welcomed an opportunity to have a chat.
"She had a vision, a very strong one, grounded in Samoan values…just a wonderful, wonderful legacy she has left."
Taouma established A'oga Fa'a Samoa in the 1980s, on the grounds of Richmond Road School in Grey Lynn, at a time when culturally responsive, Pacific-led early childhood education was virtually unheard of.
Dr Tafili Utumapu-McBride, a senior lecturer at AUT's School of Education, describes Taouma as a role model who truly embodied her beliefs.
"She was a palagi, a Pākehā, and comfortable speaking our language. That stood out. People took their children there because of the love, the values, and the solid foundation Jan built.
"Jan's love for our children and for maintaining our language and culture was visible. She set the standard."
Utumapu-McBride first encountered Taouma in the early 1990s while researching Sāmoan language nests. She recalls the centre as one of the most well-managed and widely respected in the country.
"I know quite a few people who've taken their children there over the years because of its reputation and the intergenerational aspect.
"The grandmothers learning language alongside their children and grandchildren - that was highly evident. The dedication, and the fact that it's still going strong after 40 years, really speaks volumes. Not all centres last that long."
Fa'alogo Dr Jacoba Matapo, pro vice-chancellor Pacific at AUT, says Taouma nurtured not just tamariki (children), but an entire movement.
"As a visiting lecturer, I witnessed firsthand her generosity of spirit, her openness to serve the community, and her commitment to nurturing the professional journey of emerging teachers through mentorship.
"Her mentorship was deeply relational - shaped by fa'aaloalo (respect), alofa (love), and tautua (service). I witnessed her gentle yet resolute leadership, her belief in growing Pacific leadership from within, and her remarkable ability to hold space for others to rise and lead," she says.
"I know that Jan's legacy lives on in every Pacific child who learns through their language, in every teacher she mentored, and in the enduring strength of A'oga Fa'a Samoa as a beacon of Pacific excellence. She leaves a profound imprint on the hearts of many, and a reach that will continue to guide Pacific early childhood education for generations to come."
A call to continue bilingual education
In an earlier interview with Early Childhood New Zealand, Taouma reflected on returning from Samoa with her husband, Pita, and her desire to provide a space for their five children to maintain their cultural heritage.
"I had a baby who was about 18 months old, so I was keen that this child had the same language opportunities as my other children in Samoa. I got involved and I've been here ever since. I never thought it was going to be my vocation in life!"
In 2014, Taouma received a Queen's Service Medal for her commitment to Pacific children.
Starting as a grassroots initiative, A'oga Fa'a Samoa has grown into a nationally-recognised centre of Pacific excellence. Its continued success, more than 40 years later, is a testament to Taouma's enduring vision.
Despite ongoing challenges in the sector, including persistent funding gaps for culturally-grounded services, Winter says Taouma's unwavering commitment remains a beacon for other bilingual programmes.
"She showed us what's possible. Jan never gave up. That's a true lesson for all of us.
"We've now got a Tongan kindergarten, and we work with other Pacific ECEs when they ask us to. It's about generosity from providers, working productively together to bridge resource gaps across different areas," she says.
"The dream was to have children and their whānau taught in a different way, a way where they could achieve, feel comfortable, and feel supported. I think that's part of Jan's legacy too, people who were passionate about education put in blood, sweat and tears to establish these centres."
As tributes flow from across Aotearoa, Taouma's influence resonates not only in educational circles but in every Pacific home touched by her legacy.
"Manuia lau malaga, Jan," Fa'alogo says. "You will be deeply missed and forever remembered."
Taouma's life will be celebrated on Friday, 1 August at PIPC Newton Church, 2 Edinburgh St, Newton, from 10.30am to 12.30pm, with a burial to follow at Waikumete Cemetery, Plot 21, Chapel View area at 2pm.
The family invites everyone to wear bright colours and flowers in their hair, and to come "in the spirit of Taouma's last fiafia."
-This article was first published by PMN.
