New Zealand Education History
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New Zealand is a culturally and geographically diverse place. It is rich in natural resources and mineral wealth. However, the country started getting modernized only after the British colonized the land which was after the mid 18th century.
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The Education Act was passed in New Zealand only in 1877. For the first time there was a free national system, and people had right to go to schools for primary education. One of the first schools to be opened here was by the church in coalition with government back then. Until then, children were mainly used for labor, and after the act was passed all children had to go to school and it was made compulsory. The quality of education depended on various factors even though there was a basic system of education present in the country.
So, all children from the ages of 7 to 14 started attending school. In 1900, the system of secondary education was introduced. However, the government found that less than 10 percent of the actual population was attending secondary school. Most of them attended primary school and took over manual jobs. Very little importance was given to secondary education by the people of the country. Labor was given more importance because it gave them access to money and means of living. Also, there was more need for labor in the country than educated professionals. Jobs were plenty and offered attractive pay scales. Most people gave up education for labor.
However, by the late 19th century, the trend changed when people realized the need for secondary education and setting up of formal institutes and modern computerized societies.
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