International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 2834-7919   |  e-ISSN: 1554-5210

Original article | International Journal of Progressive Education 2013, Vol. 9(2) 98-116

Progressive education in New Zealand: a revered past, a contested present and an uncertain future

Carol Mutch

pp. 98 - 116   |  Manu. Number: ijpe.2013.024

Published online: June 15, 2013  |   Number of Views: 67  |  Number of Download: 1108


Abstract

In this article, progressive education in New Zealand is examined across three eras. The

‗revered past‘ (1870s-1960s) focuses the influence of progressive ideas on the early childhood movement from the establishment of the first kindergarten in 1889 and on the schooling  sector from the 1930s to the 1960s. The ‗contested present‘ (1970s-2011) examines the attack on progressive education in schools in line with economic downturn from the 1970s onwards and contrasts this with the strengthening of the early childhood movement in the   1990s. The

‗uncertain future‘ (2012- ) looks at how current government policy is continuing to marginalise progressive ideals in favour of market-led educational decision-making but how educators are reclaiming the progressive space with the support of the wider community.

Keywords: Progressive education, education policy, education history


How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Mutch, C. (2013). Progressive education in New Zealand: a revered past, a contested present and an uncertain future . International Journal of Progressive Education, 9(2), 98-116.

Harvard
Mutch, C. (2013). Progressive education in New Zealand: a revered past, a contested present and an uncertain future . International Journal of Progressive Education, 9(2), pp. 98-116.

Chicago 16th edition
Mutch, Carol (2013). "Progressive education in New Zealand: a revered past, a contested present and an uncertain future ". International Journal of Progressive Education 9 (2):98-116.

References
  1. Abbiss, J. (1998). The ‗New Education Fellowship‘ in New Zealand: Its activity and influence in the 1930s and 1940s. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies 33 (1) pp. 81-91. [Google Scholar]
  2. Alcorn, N. (1999). To the fullest extent of his powers. C. E. Beeby’s life in education. Wellington, NZ: Victoria University Press. [Google Scholar]
  3. Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse learners in schooling: Best evidence synthesis. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education. [Google Scholar]
  4. Ashton-Warner, S. (1963). Teacher. New York: Simon and Schuster. Bailey, C. (1997). A short survey of national education. Education 9, 2-11. [Google Scholar]
  5. Barr, H. (1997). From the editor. New Zealand Journal of Social Studies 6 (2) 2. [Google Scholar]
  6. Bronfenbrenner. U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar]
  7. Carr, M. (2001). Assessment in Early Childhood Settings: Learning Stories. London: Paul Chapman Publishing: London. [Google Scholar]
  8. Carr, M. & May, H. (1994). Weaving Patterns: developing national early childhood curriculum guidelines in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Australian Journal of Early Childhood 19 (1), 25-39. [Google Scholar]
  9. Caldwell, B. & Spinks, J. (1988). The Self-Managing School. London: Falmer Press. [Google Scholar]
  10. Couch, D. (2011). New Zealand education's progressive origin: 1937 to 1944 - the seven years from idea to orthodoxy. Unpublished MEd thesis. Auckland, NZ: University of Auckland. [Google Scholar]
  11. Cumming. I. & Cumming, A. (1978). History of state education in New Zealand 1840-1975. Wellington, NZ: Pitman Publishing. [Google Scholar]
  12. Davies, S. (1994). The competitive academic curriculum. A historical influence in Australia and New Zealand. In E. Hatton (Ed.). Understanding teaching. Curriculum and the social context of teaching (pp.91-101). Sydney: Harcourt Brace. [Google Scholar]
  13. Dale, R. (1989). The state and educational policy.  Buckingham: Open University Press. [Google Scholar]
  14. Department of Education. (1977). Form 1-4 social studies syllabus. Wellington, NZ: Author. Department of Education. (1987). The curriculum review. Wellington, New Zealand: Government Printer. [Google Scholar]
  15. Dobson, E. (2007). Sylvia Ashton-Warner, 1908-1984. Kotare: Special Issue. Essays in New Zealand Literary Biography Series One: Women Prose Writers to World War I. Retrieved from http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Whi071Kota-t1-g1- t12.html [Google Scholar]
  16. Dunstall, G. (1981). The social pattern. In W. Oliver (Ed.), The Oxford history of New Zealand (pp.396-429). Wellington, NZ: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar]
  17. Early Childhood Care and Education Working Group. (1988). Education to be more. [The Meade Report]. Wellington: New Zealand: Learning Media. [Google Scholar]
  18. Education Aotearoa. (2011, January 17). Max starts school. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from: www.educationaotearoa.org.nz/all-stories/.../max-starts-school.html [Google Scholar]
  19. Fleer, M. (2003). The many voices of Te whāriki: Kaupapa Māori, socio-cultural, developmental, constructivist, and...? Australians listen carefully. In J. Nuttall (Ed.), Weaving te whāriki. Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum document in theory and practice Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER Press. [Google Scholar]
  20. Green, D. (2000). New Zealand in the 20th century. In Statistics New Zealand, The New Zealand official yearbook ’95 (pp.17). Auckland, NZ: Author. [Google Scholar]
  21. Henson, K., Smith, H. & Mayo, E. (2009). Central character story: Weaving families and their stories into children’s learning in early childhood education. Rangiora, NZ: Kidsfirst Kindergartens Bush Street. [Google Scholar]
  22. Hicks, D. & Ewing, T. (Eds.). (2006). Education and the Great Depression: Lessons from a Global History (pp.200-232). New York: Peter Lang Publishing. [Google Scholar]
  23. Hubbard, A. (2012, June 24). Key‘s crash course in crushing. Sunday Star Times, p. A14. Jones, A. & Middleton, S. (2009). The kiss and the ghost. Sylvia-Ashton Warner and New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER Press. [Google Scholar]
  24. Lange, D. (1988).Tomorrow’s Schools. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Education. Lange, D. (1989). Before five: Early childhood care and education in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Education. [Google Scholar]
  25. Langley, J. (Ed.). (2009). Tomorrow’s Schools: 20 years on. Auckland, New Zealand: Cognition Institute. [Google Scholar]
  26. May, H. (1991). ―From a floor to a drawer‖ – a story of administrative upheaval. A post- Meade reflection on early childhood policy. Te Timitanga 9 (2). [Google Scholar]
  27. May, H. (1997). The discovery of early childhood. Wellington, New Zealand, NZCER Press. May, H. (2007). ‗Minding‘, ‗Working‘, ‗Teaching‘: Childcare in Aotearoa New Zealand, 1940s-2000s. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 8 (2), 133-143. [Google Scholar]
  28. May, H. (2011). I am five and I go to school. Early years in schooling in New Zealand, 1900- 2010. Dunedin, NZ: Otago University Press. [Google Scholar]
  29. MacDonald. M. (2010). Elwyn Richardson and the early world of art education in New Zealand. Unpublished PhD thesis. Christchurch, NZ: University of Canterbury. [Google Scholar]
  30. McLaren, I. (1980). Curriculum making in New Zealand 1877-1962. In P. Ramsay, (ed.), Curriculum issues in New Zealand. Year book of education 8 (pp. 13-31). Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Educational Institute. [Google Scholar]
  31. Middleton, S. (2009). Sylvia‘s place: Sylvia Ashton-Warner as New Zealand educational theorist. In A. Jones, & S. Middleton. (2009). The kiss and the ghost. Sylvia-Ashton Warner and New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER. [Google Scholar]
  32. Ministry of Education. (1993). The New Zealand curriculum framework. Wellington, New Zealand: Author. [Google Scholar]
  33. Ministry of Education. (1994). Assessment policy to practice. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. [Google Scholar]
  34. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mo ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. [Google Scholar]
  35. Ministry of Education. (2002). Pathways to the future – Ngā huarahi arataki. Wellington, New Zealand: Author. [Google Scholar]
  36. Ministry of Education. (2004). Kei tua o te pae. Wellington, New Zealand: Author. Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Author. [Google Scholar]
  37. Ministry of Education. (2009). National standards information for schools. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media. [Google Scholar]
  38. Ministry of Education. (2010). Statement of Intent 2010-2015. Wellington, New Zealand: Author. [Google Scholar]
  39. Mitchell, L. (2010). Constructions of childhood in early childhood education policy debate in New Zealand. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 11 (4) 328-341. [Google Scholar]
  40. Mutch, C. (2002). Citizenship education in New Zealand: Inside or outside the curriculum? Citizenship, Social and Economics Education. An International Journal 5 (3) 164- 179. [Google Scholar]
  41. Mutch, C. (2004). The rise and rise of early childhood education in New Zealand. Citizenship, Social and Economics Education.  An International Journal 6 (1) 1-11. [Google Scholar]
  42. Mutch, C. (2006). The sugarbag years: Politics and education intersect at the time of the Great Depression. In D. Hicks & T. Ewing, Education and the Great Depression: Lessons from a Global History (pp.200-232). New York: Peter Lang Publishing. [Google Scholar]
  43. O‘Connor, P. (2012). Education wars will intensify with charter schools. Retrieved from: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/7148555/Education-wars-will- intensify-with-charter-schools [Google Scholar]
  44. Olssen, E. (1981). Towards a new society. In W. Oliver (ed.) The Oxford history of New Zealand (pp. 250). Wellington, NZ: Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar]
  45. OECD. (2001).Starting strong. Early childhood education and care. Paris: Author. OECD. (2012). Review of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: New Zealand. Paris: Author. [Google Scholar]
  46. Richardson, E. (1964). In the early years. Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Council for Educational Research. [Google Scholar]
  47. Robinson, V., Hohepa, N., & Lloyd, C. (2009). School leadership and student outcomes: Identifying what works and why. Best evidence synthesis iteration. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education. [Google Scholar]
  48. Sewell, A. & Bethell, K. (2009). Building Interests: A 1940s story of curriculum innovation and contemporary connections. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 6, (2) 93- 110. [Google Scholar]
  49. Simon, J. (1994). Historical perspectives on education in New Zealand. In E. Coxon, K. Jenkins, J. Marshall, & L. Massey, (eds.), The politics of teaching and learning in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Palmerston North, NZ: Dunmore. [Google Scholar]
  50. Simpson, T. (1984). The sugarbag years. An oral history of the 1930s Depression in New Zealand. Auckland, NZ: Hodder and Stoughton. [Google Scholar]
  51. Siraj-Blatchford, I. & Clarke, P. (2000). Supporting identity, diversity and language in the early years. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. [Google Scholar]
  52. Smythe, K. (2012). Elwyn Richardson: Lessons to be learned. A developmental day: The New Zealand way. Retrieved from: www.networkonnet.co.nz/index.php?section=latest&pg=2 [Google Scholar]
  53. Snook, I. (1995). Re-forming the curriculum in New Zealand. In D. Carter & M. O‘Neill (Eds.), International perspectives on education policy reform and implementation (pp. 158-168). London: Falmer. [Google Scholar]
  54. Timperley, H., Wilson, a., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2007). Teacher professional learning and development. Best evidence synthesis iteration. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education. [Google Scholar]
  55. Thrupp, M. (Ed.). (1999). A decade of reform in New Zealand education: Where to now? Hamilton: University of Waikato. [Google Scholar]
  56. Thwaites, T. (2012). Expansive learning: Multi-curricular pedagogy and holistic development through a music-centred programme. Curriculum Matters 8, 110-127. [Google Scholar]
  57. Trowler. P. (1998) Education Policy: a policy sociology approach. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  58. Wylie, C. & Thompson, J. (2003). The long-term contribution of early childhood education for children’s performance: Evidence from New Zealand. Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Council for Educational Research. [Google Scholar]
  59. Vygotsky, L. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press and New York: John Wiley and Sons. [Google Scholar]