11 March 2002 Media Release

RESEARCH ON MĀORI EDUCATION TO ASSIST TREATY CLAIMANTS

A leading education researcher is to investigate what research evidence may be needed by Treaty claimants to show how Māori fared under government education policies.

Dr John Barrington, formerly a Professor of Education at Victoria University and now a Research Fellow and educational consultant, has been commissioned by the Crown Forestry Rental Trust to undertake a scoping study of Crown policy on Māori education, and the Māori response, from 1840 to 2000. His report will suggest what further research should be undertaken, and how to tackle it.

In 1974, Professor Barrington jointly published a highly-acclaimed history of Crown education policy for Māori, but he says there has be no equivalent comprehensive update since then.

“Over the past 25 years, both Māori and Pakeha have written extensively on Māori education, using a wide range of sources and approaches, and this knowledge needs to be brought together. We also need to look for gaps in our knowledge, to be filled by further research in future.

“Education has been a key part of colonisation, from the earliest mission schools, through provincial government schools, to the start of the Native schooling system in 1867. From 1877, when the Education Boards were established, to 1968 when Māori Schools came under Board control, New Zealand had two parallel public school systems. The philosophies and policies in each system were different, and they changed over time. I’ll be looking at new work on both systems, and also at the Church boarding schools and other secondary schools,” said Dr Barrington.

“In the early 1980s, starting with kohanga reo, Māori re-established an education system based on teaching in Māori language. That spilled over into the general school system, with Māori immersion units and bilingual programmes in mainstream schools. We need to review research and writing on the kohanga and schools as well,” he said.

The Research Manager for the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, Vincent O’Malley, says it’s an honour to have such a distinguished scholar as Dr Barrington undertake this work.

“John Barrington has a comprehensive knowledge of the historical background and issues. He’s been asked to give expert evidence on the history of Māori education for Treaty claims, so he understands how this report will be used. John has also advised government officials and lectured on Māori education, so he’s ideally qualified.”

Dr Barrington’s report is due to be completed at the end of April.