education

Events In History

Articles

Schools and the First World War

  • Schools and the First World War

    Schools and children were quickly called into action at the outset of the First World War in 1914. Developing patriotic, fit and healthy citizens was seen as important to the survival of the country and the Empire. Hundreds of teachers joined the NZEF, including many from sole-teacher schools. Almost 200 never returned.

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  • Page 2 – Schools in 1914

    The head of the Department of Education believed that ‘moral purpose should dominate the spirit of the whole school life.’ Schools and teachers were to shape children into

  • Page 3 – Displaying patriotism

    In late 1917 district education boards ordered that children salute the New Zealand flag at the start of each school day. Some teachers opposed this as too militaristic.

  • Page 4 – The School Journal

    During the First World War the New Zealand School Journal played an important role in encouraging patriotism, self-sacrifice, obedience and support for the war effort among

  • Page 5 – Turning boys into soldiers

    The Defence Amendment Act 1900 introduced military cadet training into schools. The Defence Act 1909 made military training for nearly all boys compulsory from the age of 12

  • Page 6 – Supporting the war effort

    During the war children were encouraged to be ‘cheerful’ and ‘helpful’, to ease the worry and sorrow of the mothers and wives of soldiers. There were also many practical ways

  • Page 7 – Teachers who served

    Whether as school cadet officers or supporters of saluting the flag, teachers did much to set the moral tone of New Zealand schools before and during the war. Many hundreds

  • Page 8 – Further information

    Links and books relating to schooling during the First World War

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week

  • Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori  - Māori Language Week

    Every year since 1975 New Zealand has marked Māori Language Week - Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. This is a time to celebrate te reo Māori (the Māori language) and to use more Māori phrases in everyday life. In 2018 Māori Language Week runs from 10-16 September.

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  • Page 2 - History of the Māori languageThe story of the decline and revival of the Māori language is one of the major issues in modern New Zealand

Children and adolescents, 1930-1960

  • Children and adolescents, 1930-1960

    The need for the New Zealand government to promote national interests during the Depression and the Second World War created a renewed appreciation of the role of the family within society.

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  • Page 3 - Education By 1940 childhood was internationally recognised as a distinct stage in human development. A child's value to the family was no longer seen as primarily economic. Instead,

The Treaty in practice

  • The Treaty in practice

    Amalgamating Māori into colonial settler society was a key part of British policy in New Zealand after 1840. Economic and social change, along with land-purchase programmes, were central to this process.

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  • Page 4 - Shared issues and approachesProspects for Māori looked bleak at the beginning of the 20th century. A shared sense of grievance emerged, and new leaders paved the way for new approaches to the

Missionaries

  • Missionaries

    The Christian missionaries of the pre-1840s have been described as the 'agents of virtue in a world of vice', although they were not immune to moral blemish themselves.

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  • Page 3 - Men of vice or virtue?Thomas Kendall established the first mission school, but he was later suspended after admitting an adulterous affair with a Maori

Armistice Day

  • Armistice Day

    After four terrible years, fighting in the First World War finally ended with the signing of an armistice between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918. New Zealanders celebrated enthusiastically, despite having recently celebrated the surrenders of the three other Central Powers and the premature news of an armistice with Germany.

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  • Page 7 - New Zealand in 1918Some facts and stats about New Zealand in the year the First World War

Rolls of honour and obituaries

Biographies

  • Edger, Kate Milligan

    On 11 July 1877 Kate Edger (Evans) graduated with a BA in Latin and Mathematics from the University of New Zealand. She became the first woman in New Zealand to gain a university degree and the first woman in the British Empire to earn a BA

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  • Hogben, George

    In his time as head of the Department of Education from 1899 until 1915 George Hogben helped bring New Zealand's education system into line with the most advanced educational theory and practice of the time.

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