Anyone's but our own: the teaching of New Zealand history in New Zealand Secondary schools 1925-2000

Abstract

Recent public debate, played out through the media, has seen the re-emergence of concerns over the lack of New Zealand history being taught in New Zealand schools. Such concerns have been raised by educational commentators since the early twentieth century, however academic exploration of the teaching of New Zealand history has been limited. This thesis aims to fill part of this gap, providing a historical survey of the teaching of New Zealand history in New Zealand secondary schools between 1925 and 2000. Contemporary attitudes towards, and knowledge of, New Zealand history are also explored. Chapter One addresses the period between 1925 and 1945. a period in which New Zealand history was unable to establish itself within the secondary school curriculum, as it was continually overshadowed and sidelined by British imperial history. In Chapter Two. which explores the years between 1945 and 1980, the imperial emphasis is again shown to be detrimental to the teaching of New Zealand history. However, it was problems with the structure and implementation of Social Studies and the declining rolls of History, that were the primary reasons for the topic's continued failure to assert itself within the curriculum. In Chapter Three, the period between 1980 and 2000 is evaluated. In the 1980s significant achievements were made. New Zealand history teaching was increased at all levels and bicultural perspectives were incorporated. Nevertheless, continued problems within History and Social Studies ensured that these positive changes had minimal impact on secondary school students as a whole. Focus on wider administrative reforms and assessment initiatives in the 1990s ensured that concerns regarding the teaching of New Zealand history remained in the background of educational debate. In Chapter Four the impact of students' continued disengagement with New Zealand history is explored through the evaluation of two contemporary surveys. The results reveal that the secondary school curriculum has failed to fulfil its own aim of producing informed. knowledgeable citizens. Students continue to leave school largely ignorant of New Zealand history.