New Zealand or Aotearoa? The Battle for Nationhood in the English Curriculum

Abstract

Raymond Williams argued that education was centrally concerned with establishing and transmitting a 'selective tradition'. He identified three discourses that shape these processes of selection. This paper argues for the existence of a fourth discourse - 'education for nationhood'. The author outlines the concept of national identity and, using the history of schooling in New Zealand, argues that historically this discourse has been important in shaping educational curricula and practices. The paper focuses particularly on the role of literature in English as a subject, tracing the debate over the literature component in the latest revision of the 6th and 7th Form (senior secondary school) English curriculum in Aotearoa/New Zealand and arguing that this debate provides insight into the struggle taking place over the construction of nationhood in Aotearoa/New Zealand.