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Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 1
James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools
Colin McGeorge
Native Schools Act 1867 was a major shift in policy.
By the time he retired in 1903, James H. Pope (1837- Rather than providing the churches with fresh funds to
1913) could claim a number of unusual distinctions. rebuild their educational enterprise after the wars, the
There cannot have been many Channel Islanders who central government itself would provide secular village
spoke and wrote Maori in the nineteenth century or schools. These schools would not be imposed, but if a
many authors whose textbooks were published in one Maori community petitioned for a school and
language for children and another for adults. Pope provided a suitable site the government would provide
worked in education for more than forty years, and for a school, a teacher, books and equipment.
twenty-three of them he had charge of a scattered The Education Act 1877, necessitated by the
subsystem of New Zealand schools, the northernmost abolition of provincial government, created a central
of them nearly a thousand miles from the Department of Education and established a national
southernmost. system of primary schools administered by regional
Pope was born in St Heliers, Jersey, emigrated to education boards and local school committees but,
Australia with his parents in 1852 and became curiously, it made no mention of the existing
principal of a Ballarat primary school in 1858. He government schools for Maori. It made good
became an assistant master at the Otago High School administrative sense, however, for the new
in Dunedin in 1864, transferred to the Otago Girls' Department of Education to assume direct control of
High School in 1873 and returned to Australia to the Native Schools in due course.
become rector of Ballarat College in 1876. The Native Affairs Department had not issued a
Unfortunately, his health broke down in Ballarat and uniform curriculum and it had relied on magistrates
he returned to Dunedin to recuperate. In 1879, after and other local European worthies as inspectors. In
a spell as deputy principal at Otago Girls' High, he 1880 Pope issued a detailed ‘Native Schools Code’
was invited by the head of the newly established New which prescribed a curriculum in four standards
Zealand Department of Education to work as an (education board schools for Europeans had six),
organising teacher in Taranaki. In July of that year, provided for the examination and classification of
the Department assumed responsibility for the village Native School teachers, outlined how schools were to
schools previously administered by the Department of be conducted and spelled out teachers' role in the
Native Affairs and Pope was appointed organising community.
inspector of Native Schools in January 1880.1 The Native Schools' mission was, as Pope put it,
Pope's schools were the first New Zealand schools ‘to bring an untutored but intelligent and high-
provided and directly controlled by the central New spirited people into line with our civilisation’.3
Zealand government. Until the 1860s, governors and Instruction was to be in English, although Maori
ministries followed British precedent by subsidising might be employed in the junior classes as a temporary
church schools for Maori and making ad hoc grants of expedient, and teachers' dress, speech, housekeeping,
land for school sites or as permanent endowments. gardens and general conduct were to provide models
Until the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, the of European civilisation.
education of European settlers' children was a matter Given that mission, it followed that progress would
for private enterprise, co-operative self-help, and be marked by a closer and closer approximation to the
whatever financial assistance was available as the conduct of education board schools and Native
Wakefield settlements' schemes went progressively Schools would eventually disappear altogether. In the
awry. After 1852, responsibility for settler children's 1890s, the Native School syllabus was extended from
schooling was assumed - with varying enthusiasm and four to six standards and by the early twentieth
success - by the provincial councils established under century Native Schools operated on essentially the
the Constitution Act. same syllabus as board schools. In 1947, an inspector
The New Zealand Wars ended missionary of Native Schools commented that when he was
domination of Maori education. Danger and appointed in 1931, ‘there was practically nothing
Maori in the schools except the Maori children.4 In
disaffection saw enrolments in the mission schools the 1930s, and in belated recognition of Maori
decline until it was estimated in 1865 that there were culture, the Department announced that the Native
only 22 Maori at school in the whole colony.2 The Schools would henceforth include Maori music,
dancing, and art and crafts in their programmes, but
1 William Renwick ‘James Henry Pope’ in Claudia Orange et al
(eds), The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, vol. 2
(Wellington, Bridget Williams Books with Department of 3 W. W. Bird, ‘The education of the Maori’ In I. Davey (ed) Fifty
Internal Affairs, 1993), pp. 393-5. Years of National Education in New Zealand 1878-1928
2 John Barrington, ‘A historical survey of policy and provisions’, (Christchurch, Whitcombe and Tombs, 1928), p. 64.
New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies (vo1 1 no 1, 1966, 4 Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives
pp. 1-14 ). [AJHR], E-2 (Wellington, Government Printer, 1948) p. 2.Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 2
schooling was still in English and many older Maori into use in this natural order: (1) The ear, (2), the
have reported being punished for speaking Maori in tongue, (3) the eye, (4) the hand.’10
the playground.5 Earlier texts presented material in both Maori and
By the early twentieth century, nearly 50 per cent English, but Pope's lessons were entirely in English
of Maori pupils were in education in board rather than with the exception of a few Maori words familiar to
Native Schools, due partly to the spread of board European settlers. Lesson I begins, ‘He is in my pa’
schools with closer European settlement and partly to and Lesson XXI ‘Ned had a tui.’11 Some lessons were
the transfer of Native Schools to education board indistinguishable from their British equivalents, but
control when the pupils' English had reached a others reflected life in New Zealand with references to
suitable standard.6 In 1969, when they catered for pig-hunting, gum-digging, bush travel and geothermal
only about ten per cent of Maori primary school activity.
pupils, the remaining Maori schools all passed from
Department of Education to district education board Have you been to the hot springs? I saw them last
control. By the 1960s, there were few remaining month. Hot streams come out of the earth. There
formal differences between the two sorts of schools, are small pools. They are quite hot. You can boil
but in the nineteenth century the Native Schools were meat in them. Some of these pools are close to a
very much Pope's fief. cold lake. You can catch fish in the lake and cook
Pope travelled widely, inspecting schools, them in the pools. There are some warm ponds
examining pupils, assessing proposed school sites and there too. Boys and girls swim in them.12
encouraging and instructing teachers in their duties.
At his Wellington desk, he attended to a steady stream The primer was expanded from 22 to 46 pages in
of correspondence in English and Maori, considered 1894 and reprinted in 1898 and 1902. The new
appointments and claims for equipment and material was ‘to afford Maori pupils special practice in
allowances, drew up further circulars to teachers and the production of those sounds that present peculiar
compiled detailed annual reports to Parliament. And, difficulties to them’.13 The eighteen additional lessons
as if to place his stamp even more firmly on his duly featured words including consonants and
schools, he wrote four textbooks, three of which were combinations which do not appear in Maori, e.g., b,
still in print in the early twentieth century. br, cl, cr, d, dr, fl, j, s, and sh, so that pupils wrestled
There were English texts for Maori well before with such passages as:
Pope's7 and the government had published two such
works in the 1870s.8 Pope's books are, however,
notable for the number of editions some of them went
through and for their urgent message that the Maori's
health, happiness and prosperity, if not their very
survival, depended on forsaking traditional practices
for European ones.
Pope's first, shortest book was a primer for
Standard I pupils.9 Teachers were to read and explain
each lesson; the pupils were then to repeat the
sentences after the teacher ‘until they can do it
faultlessly’. Only then was the lesson to be read by
individual pupils. Finally, the class would ‘accurately
transcribe’ the lesson. ‘This method involves the
successive employment of four organs, which come
5 Richard Benton, ‘Fairness in Maori education’ in Royal
Commission on Social Policy: The April Report (Wellington,
Government Printer, 1988), vol 3, Part 2, p. 380.
6 J. D. S. McKenzie, ‘More than a show of justice? The
enrolment of Maoris in European schools prior to 1900’, New
Zealand Journal of Educational Studies (vol 17, no 1, 1982,
pp.1-20)
7 For example, A spelling book for the use of Maori children : with
Figure 1: James H. Pope, Native School Reader
easy and familiar reading lessons in the English language
(Wellington, Printed by R. Stokes, at the ‘Spectator’ Office,
1852). 10 James H. Pope, Lessons in Reading and Spelling for Use in
8 William Colenso, Willie's First English Book: written by order of Native Schools: new issue with additional lessons (Wellington,
the government (Wellington : Goverment Printer, 1872). Government Printer, 1894) p. 3
Archdeacon L. Williams, Lessons in the English Language for 11 Lessons, 1894, pp. 5 and 20. [Pa: a fortified village. Tui: New
Maori Schools (Wellington, Government Printer, 1875) Zealand songbird.]
9 James H. Pope, Lessons in Reading and Spelling for Use in 12 ibid, 1894, p. 25.
Native Schools (Wellington, Government Printer, 1884) 13 ibid, 1894, p. 29.Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 3
Look at the fine ship, with sails as white as a clean When two different races of men have to live
fleece. How she darts through the sea! She seems to together, the race that, through any cause, is more
wish to smash the waves in front of her. The strong ignorant, weaker in numbers, and poorer than the
breeze it is that drives her on. What a shame it would other must learn the good customs of the stronger
be to let her strike the shoal that is just in front of her. people or else surely die out. We learn this from
The man that steers would blush with shame if he let the history of other nations. If the weaker people
the grand ship get wrecked.14 take only to the bad habits only of the stronger,
and do not learn the good ones, these bad habits
Pope's best-known work, Health for the Maori, was will soon kill them.
also first published in 1884 (see front cover).15 Some
of stories and illustrations were from Buckton's Now, here in New Zealand there are two races -
‘Health in the House’ or from a ‘Health Primer’ but the pakeha and the Maori. We need not say
otherwise Pope's work was based on his own anything about the Maoris here, except, perhaps,
observations and conclusions. The first four chapters that they are naturally, in body and mind, as fine a
were headed ‘Part I: The Disease’ and described race as ever lived. We have to speak about the
European health and mortality rates in former times pakehas. These have a great many good points.
and the way in which these had been improved They know a great deal; they work very hard; they
through sanitation, improved diet, vaccination and the love their wives and children, and take great
discovery of remedies like quinine. Maori, however, trouble to feed them well and clothe them
were ‘still in the same sort of state as the Europeans decently; they take good care to send their children
were in when they used to die off so fast.’16 Pope to school; they eat good food; they wear warm
believed that the Maori population had been declining clothes; they live in good houses; they make good
before pakeha arrived in New Zealand and he laws for preventing crime, and they obey these laws
attributed this to warfare and ignorance of the laws of very well. These are some of the good works of
health. The decline had continued, however, after the pakeha. But some of them do very bad ones
inter-tribal warfare and wars between Maori and too. They drink too much; they smoke too much;
pakeha had ceased, and this further decline resulted they quarrel and fight; they are unkind to their
friends; they spend all they get on folly; and some
of them lead thoroughly bad lives. Where the
Maoris adopt these bad customs and do not take to
the good ones, but keep to the old Maori ways, the
bad customs make them die out.17
Pope attributed the complete disappearance of the
Tasmanians to their having ‘learned some of the bad
ways of the whites, but none of the good ones’,
discreetly omitting any reference to the number shot
by settlers.18 Some social Darwinists concluded that
Maori must also be a dying race, but Pope did not.
Indigenous peoples would survive where, as in Victoria
or the United States, schools taught ‘some of the
whites' good ways’.19
Much of ‘Part II - the Remedy’ would have been
familiar to readers of Buckton's text or similar works.
Chapters V to XIII were entitled ‘Pure Air’, ‘Clean
water’, ‘Healthy sites for residences’, ‘Wholesome
food’, ‘Cleanliness’, ‘Sufficient warmth’, ‘Proper
clothing’, ‘Regular work’ and ‘Proper treatment of the
sick.’ Pope's treatment of these standard topics
included, however, discussion of Maori practices and
Figure 2: James H. Pope, Lessons in Reading and Spelling for Use preferences and their bad effects. In discussing diet,
in Native Schools: new issue with additional lessons for example, he warned that the Maori manner of
preparing sweet corn reduced its food value and that
huddling in a whare, the traditional Maori dwelling,
from a combination of traditional Maori practices and could be dangerous. Chapters XIV to XVIII were on
new, pakeha vices. Maori customs and beliefs which Pope considered
particularly misguided. Chapter XIV, ‘Maori doctors’,
14 ibid, 1894, p. 43.
15 James H. Pope, Health for the Maori : a manual for use in Native 17 ibid, pp. 32-33.
Schools , (Wellington, Government Printer, 1884). 18 ibid, p. 33.
16 Pope, Health, 1884, p. 22. 19 ibid, p. 33.Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 4
warned that a tohunga or traditional healer could give pretty complete knowledge of matters that young
no real aid to the afflicted and often did a great deal of Europeans are generally quite ignorant of.24
harm. Makutu or witchcraft sometimes caused Maori
to sicken or even die, but it was all in the minds of the Chapter XVIII, ‘Marriage customs’, however, was
credulous. Three hundred years ago, pakeha had not to be read in mixed classes and pupils were told
believed in witchcraft too, but now only the silliest did that it ‘would not be quite proper’ to explain all the
and Maori should realise that ‘The belief in witches is reasons why European marriage customs should
very stupid’.20 supplant Maori:
Chapter XV condemned traditional Maori funeral
rites or tangihanga. European funerary customs were . . .but you may be quite sure that it would
sometimes foolish and wasteful too; money spent on be a very good thing for both their health and their
‘fine black clothes’ and ornate coffins would be better comfort if Maoris married young, as soon, in fact,
given to widows and children, but the Maori practice as they were fully grown but not before; if they
of having the body laid out during a gathering that always married for aroha [love], and not on
lasted for days was ‘very bad and dangerous’, account of land claims or other circumstances that
particularly when death was the result of infectious have nothing at all to do with marriage; and if,
disease. ‘All sensible people’, including some when they were once married, young people
enlightened Maori, had abandoned wakes and funeral continued to be kind, loving and faithful friends to
feasts.21 each other until death came to part them.25
Other Maori gatherings or hui which included
drinking and excessive feasting and dancing were also Marriages between near relatives were to be avoided.
condemned and Pope explained how to organise a
picnic or a ‘tea-meeting’ instead - both much more It has been found that the children of cousins, for
suitable ways of celebrating a special event. Chapter instance, are often sickly, or deaf and dumb, or of
XVII, ‘Extravagance’, praised Maori hospitality but weak mind. It is certain, too, that it is better for
deplored its perversion. half-castes not to marry half-castes; they should
marry either Maoris or pakehas.26
Then, too, as long as there is any food at all in a
Maori settlement, no poor man has occasion to A revised edition was published in 1894 and a
fear that he will quite starve. When meal-times third edition in 1901. In the preface to the second
come round there will always be some food for edition, Pope noted that ‘there are now many
him. The Maori never turns his back on a friend settlements in New Zealand to which the statements
who is poor or shabby; he never thinks himself too made in this book are only very partially applicable’
great a man to speak to his poorer relatives. but educated Maori would agree there were many
Pakehas are not always so kind and good to their other villages where ‘the picture painted in this book
friends and to the poor as the Maoris are. was still only too true’.27
A Maori language edition for adults was first
But sometimes the Maori carries his kindness too published in 1884 and a revised edition in 1896 (see
far: he gets even to take a sort of foolish pride in it. front cover).28 In 1886, the resident magistrate at
He wants to be thought kinder than others and Opotoki reported that when talking to Maori his
will sometimes do very stupid things so that he attention had often been drawn to ‘that useful little
may not be called mean and stingy.22 book compiled by the inspector of Native Schools’.29
In his 1892 report to Parliament, Pope reported that
Idle persons might eat the hospitable out of house Apirana Ngata, a university student, and Rewiti
and home, leaving them in dire straits and susceptible Morgan, a pupil at Te Aute College, had spent their
to disease. Consider the prudent bee and the previous Christmas vacation distributing the Maori
opportunistic wasp: industrious Maori ‘should be still language edition of Health for the Maori to adult
more like the bees than they are’.23 Maori.30 (Ngata, later Sir Apirana, was the first Maori
Pope warned that Health for the Maori included graduate of the University of New Zealand and
subjects that would not be discussed in a book for
European children, but no harm would come to Maori
children through plain talk:
24 ibid, p.5.
25 ibid , p. 112.
The Maoris, old and young, call a spade ‘a spade’, 26 ibid, p. 113.
and from an early age children of both sexes have a 27 Pope, Health for the Maori (Wellington, Government Printer,
1901, reprinted preface to second edition, p. v).
28 James H. Pope, Te Ora mo te Maori : he pukapuka mo nga kura
Maori (Wellington, Government Printer, 1884).
James H. Pope, Te Ora mo te Mäori : he pukapuka hei
20 ibid , p. 90. korerotanga mo ngä kura Mäori, Revised edition (Wellington,
21 ibid, p. 97. Government Printer, 1896).
22 ibid, pp.104-5. 29 AJHR, 1886, G-1, p. 14.
23 ibid, p.107. 30 AJHR, 1892, E-2, p. 3.Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 5
became a cabinet Minister in the 1920s and a notable edition. In 1888, the Inspector-General of Schools
collector of Maori oral literature.) reported that:
Perhaps the most notable adult reader of Health for
the Maori was T. W. Ratana, founder of the church Mr Pope's Native School reader has been
which bears his name and leader of a political translated into Maori and printed, and the edition
movement which eventually won all four Maori seats has been presented to a society which will sell the
in the New Zealand Parliament. Ratana had a vision book to the natives and devote the proceeds to
in 1918 and during the following months he spent another work to be sold in its turn and so on.37
hours reading the Bible and Health for the Maori as he
pondered on his mission and the future of his people.31 I have been unable to discover what society that
Pope's Native School Reader, which appeared in was. Emily Way, who grew up speaking both Maori
1886, was a natural development from his primer.32 and English, was the daughter of S. M. Spencer, who
Part I contained thirty pieces, the first six in the same was born in the United States and came to New
format and style as the later lessons in the primer. Part Zealand as an Anglican missionary in 1843.38 Given
II consisted of fifty fables ‘altered and in some cases her connections, that edition of Pope's reader may
localised to make them more interesting to Maoris.’33 have been handed to the Church Missionary Society or
(‘Localisation’ consisted of changing some of Aesop's some other Anglican association. There were, in any
characters to New Zealand birds or plants.) Part III case, no further editions of the Maori edition of Pope's
contained translations and adaptations of a number of reader.
Wittich's ‘German Tales’ - instructive or amusing Pope's fourth and final book, The State, was the
anecdotes, some of which also appeared in British most substantial, the one in which he seems to have
miscellaneous readers. taken most pride and the least successful. His entry in
Like the primer, the Reader was in English and the Who's Who in New Zealand says that of his works, ‘the
only Maori words in it, usually the names of plants principal, perhaps, was The State, the result of an
and birds, were in common usage amongst European effort to make English ways in government, laws and
New Zealanders. Part I, which appears to have been ethical matters plain to Maori people’ but ‘a smaller
entirely Pope's own work, contains many New work to teach Maori people the rudiments of
Zealand references, and Pope also took the sanitation was much more successful and was pretty
opportunity to repeat some of the messages in Health generally approved’.39
for the Maori. The State was a 327 page treatise on political
economy and government with chapters on wealth,
Do you see that poor man? He cannot walk; he capital, rent, exchange, wages, debt, trade, the causes
cannot talk well. His speech is not clear; it is of poverty and prosperity, the New Zealand system of
thick. I think he must be sick. See, he falls into government, law, property and individual human
the mud! . . .What a foolish man he must be to rights, crime and punishment. The two final,
drink a thing that makes him poor, ragged and summary chapters were ringingly entitled, ‘The future
dirty, as well as sick and stupid! When we are - what to avoid - causes of the decay of nations’ and
grown up we ought, I think, to drink tea or water, ‘Right conduct of the individual necessary for the
and not rum or beer.34 welfare of the state’.
Pope acknowledged that his topic had got away
There were reprints or revisions of the Reader in from him. The book had been meant for ‘young
1891, 1898 and 1904, and a Maori language edition Maoris able to understand easy English’ but he found
was published in 1887.35 The Reader was translated it impossible to deal at that level with subjects like rent
by Mrs Emily Way, whose name, transliterated as and value. ‘Accordingly the standard of difficulty was
‘Emirei Wei’, appears on the title page, but it is not raised, and made such that young men educated at
clear whether or not she also translated the health Native boarding schools [i.e., church secondary
text.36 Nor is it clear what happened to Mrs Way's schools] might be expected to find the new chapters
just within their grasp.’ The book might also serve as
31 J. M. Henderson, Ratana: the man, the church, the political ‘a general introduction to sociological subjects for
movement. Wellington, Reed/Polynesian Society, 1972), pp. 24 beginners of any age’.40
and 35.
32 James H. Pope, The Native School Reader for Standards II and
III: to be used with Royal Readers I and II, or other reading-books
of similar difficulty (Wellington, Government Printer, 1886). English originals, but this does not necessarily mean that both
James H. Pope, The Native School Reader for Standards II and translations were by the same person. (Lyndsay Head, Personal
III: to be used with other reading-books of similar difficulty. 4th communication 22 March, 2001).
edition (Wellington, Government Printer, 1904). 37 AJHR, E-2, 1888, p. 3.
34 Pope, Reader, 1904, p. 6. 38 A. Matheson, ‘Ivy Isle’, Historical Review vol 41, no 1, 1993,
35 James H. Pope, Te Pukapuka Kura Maori . . . kai-tirotiro o nga pp. 24- 33.
kura Maori na Emiri Wei i whakamaori (Poneke, Kai-ta o te 39 G. H. Scholefield,Who's Who in New Zealand and the Western
Kawanatanga, 1887). Pacific (Wellington, Gordon and Gotch, 1908) p. 137.
36 A senior lecturer in the University of Canterbury's Department 40 James H. Pope, The State: the rudiments of New Zealand
of Maori comments that the Maori of both Te Ora and Te sociology for the use of beginners (Wellington, Government
Pukapuka is lifeless and stilted because both closely follow their Printer, 1887) p. iii.Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 6
Pope acknowledged the assistance of the Rev. W. J. senior class with great success’.47 Renwick, however,
Habens, Inspector-General of Schools, and Sir Edward concludes that The State was more suited to
Osborne Gibbes, chief clerk in the Department of undergraduates than to school pupils, however
Education; and his printed sources included John senior.48 Pope promised that any errors brought to
Stuart Mill, Henry George, Prof. Jevons, Nassau his attention would be corrected in the next edition,
Senior, Herbert Spencer, J. R. Green, Bagehot, Adam but there was no other edition and The State
Smith, Archbishop Whately, ‘Mr and Mrs Fawcett’, remained a seldom-read curiosity of New Zealand
and G. H. Lewes. publishing.
Pope thanked the government for letting him The first substantial history of education in New
publish his book ‘without any restrictions of a political Zealand heaped praise on Pope and his books. A. G.
character’ and he professed not to know, in fact, ‘how Butchers wrote of the ‘broad and inspiring
far the contents are in accord with the views held by humanitarian work of the Native Schools’ and asserted
the Government.’41 He wrote circumspectly, however, that the survival of the Maori people was ‘wholly due
tempering conclusions which might not have gone to the State Departments of Native Affairs, of Health,
down well with some government members. He and, for the past 50 years, of Education.49 More
followed Henry George, for example, in concluding recent historians have blamed the Native Schools for
that the best system of taxation according to ability to the decline in the number of Maori speakers and they
pay would be a single tax on land - so long as there have criticised Pope for his attitudes toward Maori
were some agreed means of assessing its unimproved traditions and values. Simon et al, for example,
value. Failing that, he favoured indirect taxation on describe Pope's tone in Health as ‘highly paternalistic’
luxuries - alcohol, tobacco, jewellery and ‘fine in his treatment of cultural practices such as
feathers.’42 A trade union, he wrote, was ‘a very good tangihanga.50
thing . . .one of the best things that working men have Estimating his texts' success, Pope would probably
ever learnt to take in hand’. But it could be made have concluded that it was a mixed result. By the end
‘very bad use of’ when, when for example, a union of the nineteenth century, the Maori population was
banned piece work or ran a closed shop.43 He might increasing and Pope might have felt able to take some
have upset temperance advocates by pronouncing credit for that. On the other hand, tea meetings had
against prohibition because it was an encroachment on not supplanted hui and tangihanga - nor have they yet
personal freedom, but he also argued that drinking, an - and Parliament felt it necessary to legislate against
acknowledged evil, would die out in any case as tohunga in 1907.
temperance societies changed public opinion.44 Pope's books were some of the best-known New
Pope used local illustrations from time to time, Zealand school books of the late nineteenth and early
particularly in his earlier chapters. A Maori family twentieth century; they are among the few school texts
which used some of its store of potatoes and corn to that New Zealand secondhand booksellers handle; and
produce its next crop illustrated the use of capital. the facsimile edition of Health for the Maori published
The export of frozen New Zealand mutton was an in the 1990s is the only New Zealand reprint of an old
example of knowledge helping to produce wealth. school book as a collector's item.51
The foolishness of excessive personal consumption on It is easy to condemn Pope for holding attitudes
credit could be seen when Maori lost the land they had and beliefs no longer fashionable; one might also
mortgaged to pay for feasts, weddings or tangi. defend him for his personal qualities and his liberal
The production of wealth is subject to laws which attitudes on some matters. He urged his teachers to
‘will always be the same until water begins to run avoid corporal punishment at a time when some
uphill and two and two make five’.45 But the laws by inspectors of board schools stoutly defended the
which wealth is shared are man-made and may be practice in the name of ‘discipline.’ Maori and pakeha
improved under a good government; and New both found Pope likeable. He was a large, untidy,
Zealand, having inherited British parliamentary bearded man whose personal acquaintance in his later
traditions and a British love of personal freedom, was years would probably have described him as ‘fatherly’
‘probably as well governed as any [state] that is to be rather than ‘paternalistic’.
found in the world’.46 Old textbooks and curriculum documents are
Despite Pope's best efforts and his use of local particularly useful when they relate to special forms of
illustrations, The State was very heavy going. It was education because they are more likely to express their
used in a few church secondary schools for Maori and authors' attitudes and assumptions explicitly and
in 1890 Pope reported that at one of them ‘two new
subjects - elementary chemistry and the government
and laws of New Zealand - had been treated by the 47 AJHR, 1890, E-2, p. 7.
48 Renwick in Orange (ed), p. 395.
49 A. G. Butchers, Education in New Zealand (Dunedin, Coulls
41 Pope, State, p. vi. Somerville Wilkie, 1930) pp. 117-8.
42 ibid, p 183-6. 50 Judith Simon (ed), The Native Schools System 1867-1969 = Nga
43 ibid, p. 149. kura Maori (Auckland, Auckland University Press, 1998), p.
44 ibid e, p. 35. 122.
45 ibid, p. 211. 51 James Pope, Health for the Maori (Christchurch, Kiwi
46 ibid e, p. 25. Publishers, Facsimile of 1884 edition).Paradigm 2/3 James Pope’s textbooks for New Zealand native schools | Colin McGeorge 7 urgently. The ‘moral curriculum’ of nineteenth- century New Zealand schooling, for example, was most clearly set out in regulations for the conduct of industrial schools in which children, having failed that curriculum in regular schools, got a remedial dose of it under lock and key. Pope's books express not only educated pakeha attitudes to Maori but also the values preached in a lower key in texts for the general school system: sobriety, thrift, industry, obedience to the law, self-improvement and judicious charity.
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