History of education in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
The ideas for education
in New Zealand
developed from mass education. Mass education was not part of the ideas of the enlightenment
.
The Education Act 1914 required all secondary schools to offer free education to all those who passed a Proficiency examination. By 1917, 37 percent of the population went to secondary school.
Just as mass primary education had been created to provide industry with workers, the secondary sector expanded to satisfy the needs of the economy. However, they ran along the lines of the English grammar school system, and offered a traditional curriculum. This was suitable for those attending university, but did not suit those with other goals. It continues to exert a strong influence on secondary schools today.
) was made to address an egalitarian education system.
The unpopular technical high schools led to an important document called the Thomas report of 1944. It set out to address the concerns of the curriculum, and was to remain in place for the following fifty years. It introduced school certificate, and abolished a Matriculation
, replacing it with University Entrance. The main contribution of this report was a common, core curriculum that provided an education for all. The material was to be drawn from both practical and academic strands, with the added aim of catering for students of widely differing abilities, interests, and backgrounds. This was to be compulsory up to the end of form 4. But schools resisted the reforms by streaming students into different ability classes as measured by IQ, and giving these classes different versions of the core curriculum.
Curriculum reforms were finally completed in the 1990s that updated what was taught in schools for the 21st century.
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
developed from mass education. Mass education was not part of the ideas of the enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
.
Origins of Primary school
The passing of the Education Act 1877 established New Zealand's first free national system of primary education. Before then children attended a school governed by the provincial government or a church school, or private school. However, many children did not attend school, especially those from rural areas where labour was more important. The quality of education varied widely amongst those providing it. The Education Act 1877 sought to establish standards of quality of education, and reduce the secular influence on education. It became compulsory for children from ages 5 to 15 to attend primary school.Origins of Secondary school
By 1900, less than 10 percent of New Zealand’s population went to secondary school, but this was not free education. Most who attended secondary school headed to university and the professions. In the late 19th and 20th centuries there was more need for labouring jobs than academic or educational qualifications. Then as the country grew, so did the need for skilled tradespeople and administrators, and the secondary sector also expanded.The Education Act 1914 required all secondary schools to offer free education to all those who passed a Proficiency examination. By 1917, 37 percent of the population went to secondary school.
Just as mass primary education had been created to provide industry with workers, the secondary sector expanded to satisfy the needs of the economy. However, they ran along the lines of the English grammar school system, and offered a traditional curriculum. This was suitable for those attending university, but did not suit those with other goals. It continues to exert a strong influence on secondary schools today.
Introduction of technical high schools
An attempt to address this was made early in the 20th century by introducing technical high schools. They offered a more “practical” and “relevant” curriculum than traditional grammar schools. The idea was not a success, and the traditional schools took a scornful attitude to those attending technical high schools. Many parents believed that secondary schools should provide a pathway for those entering high-status professions, and to have a better life. The two systems were intended to be equal in status, but ended up being run along class lines.The Thomas Report, 1944
In the 1930s another attempt (see The Atmore Report, 1930The Atmore Report, 1930
The Atmore Report, 1930 was a parliamentary report into the New Zealand Education System which became a landmark document and akin to progressive educationists' charter.-Parliamentary Recess Education Committee:...
) was made to address an egalitarian education system.
The unpopular technical high schools led to an important document called the Thomas report of 1944. It set out to address the concerns of the curriculum, and was to remain in place for the following fifty years. It introduced school certificate, and abolished a Matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
, replacing it with University Entrance. The main contribution of this report was a common, core curriculum that provided an education for all. The material was to be drawn from both practical and academic strands, with the added aim of catering for students of widely differing abilities, interests, and backgrounds. This was to be compulsory up to the end of form 4. But schools resisted the reforms by streaming students into different ability classes as measured by IQ, and giving these classes different versions of the core curriculum.
Recent developments
In the 1980s, New Zealand education underwent more major reforms. Early in the decade, the government called for a review of the curriculum. This information was collected but the public’s ideas were not used. Instead, it was overtaken by reforms that addressed the administration of education. Two major reports appeared. The first, Administering for Excellence was written by a group of people drawn from industry. Their ideas were used to provide the basis for a business model of education, inline with a strong neo-liberal agenda that swept New Zealand. The report became known as the Picot report after its leader, Brian Picot, a supermarket magnate. The second report called Tomorrow Schools was the Ministers blueprint for the process. The government replaced the Department of Education with a ministry, and turned schools into autonomous entities, managed by boards of trustees. This arrangement is in place today in all schools in New Zealand.Curriculum reforms were finally completed in the 1990s that updated what was taught in schools for the 21st century.