Education in the Cook Strait settlements, 1844-1856

Abstract

Our knowledge of educational ideas and endeavour in the early years of colonial settlement in New Zealand is far from comprehensive. The Major historians of the period have concerned themselves mainly with politics and have dealt with the question in an incidental fashion only. But the published work of educational historians has not remedied the deficiency. Meet of this has been based on inadequate research and has led to the making of a number of generalisations which are not fully tenable and which in some cases are completely wrong. Consequently there is today a dearth of accurate, detailed Knowledge concerning the formative years of our education system. Instead, more often than not we have a mixture of myth, error and ill-assorted fact. The purpose of this essay is to analyse the educational theories current in Wellington and Nelson in the early years of settlement and to trace the working out in practice of these ideas from the early 1840's to the enactment of the first Education Ordinances in the two provinces. The study, limited in both space and time, will show how certain features now regarded as distinctive of New Zealand's educational system, evolved during these crucial years through the interaction of practical necessity and a diversity of political, philosophical and religious beliefs. It will reflect also the dominant role which a relatively small number of highly-educated men played in the creation of state schooling. Above all, it will show beyond all possible doubt that the secular, compulsory and central nature of New Zealand education was introduced long before the passing of the 1877 Act.