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1250
Maori first arrive in New Zealand.
They had their own culture of education where knowledge and skills were imparted by oral traditions, and children learned at the side of the elders. -
Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand
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First mission school opens in the Bay of Islands
It was established by Thomas Kendall from the Anglican Church Missionary Society and taught in Te Reo. -
Education Ordinance
George Grey, governor of New Zealand, supported the mission schools based on 4 principles - religious instruction, industrial training, learning English and government inspection. -
Native Schools Act
Introduced the idea that Maori students should live away from their homes and board. -
School Inspector says Maori are for manual labour
Government expectations of Māori are not high. School inspector reports to the House of Representatives that Maori were fit to to manual labour, rather than mental. -
Maori language abolished from schools
Native Schools Act is passed, setting up a system where Māori provide the land and the Government provides the buildings and teachers. Schools for Māori focus more on manual instruction than academic subjects. Instruction was only in English. -
Free education
A free basic education in New Zealand. -
Education Compulsory
Education became compulsory for all New Zealand children -
Proficiency exams established
Proficiency became a prized qualification, especially as it gave the holder two free years of secondary schooling. -
Te Reo ban promoted in schools
Nationwide policy to impose a ban on te reo being spoken in the playground. A wide range of punishments used against children who speak te reo at school (including corporal punishment). -
School Journal established
This provided learning materials with New Zealand content and supported the curriculum. -
Correspondence School established/Intermediate schools created
Intermediate schools were thought to make the transition to technical or academic schooling. -
Maori Arts and Crafts introduced.
This signalled the end of the assimilation policy. -
Proficiency abolished
Teachers and pupils were released from the narrow focus on meeting exam standards. -
School Leaving Age
This was raised to 15, meaning that girls were able to remain at school. -
School certificate exams
These were held at the end of the third year of secondary school. -
Hunn Report
Hunn Report draws attention to the educational disparity between Maori and Pakeha, and rejects the assimilation policy in favour of integration. Between 1900 and 1960, the proportion of Māori fluent in te reo decreases from 95% to 25%. -
Compulsory starting age for school
This was age 6, and this remains unchanged. -
Maori schools transferred
All Maori schools were transferred to regional education board control. -
Lobby for te reo in schools
Ngā Tamatoa and the Te Reo Māori Society lobby for the introduction of te reo in schools. -
Teachers Colleges have courses in Māori Studies
Presentation of Māori language petition to Parliament by Ngā Tamatoa and the Te Reo Māori Society. -
First kura school established
First kura kaupapa Māori established at Hoani Waititi Marae, West Auckland. -
Te Reo recognised as official language
Māori Language Act recognises te reo as an official language. Māori Language Commission (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) is established. -
Kura kaupapa formally recognised
Education Act formally recognises kura kaupapa Māori as educational institutions. -
School leavers at 16
The age was raised once again reflecting the view that children need a solid education before moving on to train in other fields. -
First Maori education strategy developed
Te Puni Kōkiri report identifies education system's underachievement for Maori. -
Redevelopment of Maori education strategy
Series of Hui Taumata initiated to debate issues, barriers, and future directions. -
NCEA becomes main school qualification
National Certificate of Educational Achievement replaced School Certificate. -
Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success
Launch of strategy for improving the performance of the education system for Māori, Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success.
