‘Ie is traditionally used in many Pasifika cultures but especially Samoan culture, to show the importance of respect. The most popular article of apparel is known as an ie lavalava, but we simply refer to it as an ‘ie (ee-eh). Simply put, it is a piece of cloth tied around the waist. Ie lavalava are casually worn by both men and women around the home, within their church community, or anywhere in public.

The students are proposing this initiative, specifically those who want to wear ie to school. For example, we know that our Pasifika students would happily wear their ie to school and celebrate their culture if this initiative was adopted and became part of our uniform. This initiative would aim to allow students to wear ‘ie whenever they please instead of only being allowed to wear them during cultural celebrations such as Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island, Niuean, and Fijian Language Weeks. While we greatly appreciate the fact that students can wear ie during such weeks, it's also just as important that if we are celebrating a culture in a designated week, we should be celebrating it outside of those periods of time to show our true respect and appreciation. 

We welcome your feedback on the student lead proposal of - Making ‘ie part of the school uniform: click here to have your say.