The Control of Education in New Zealand: Centrality with Minimal Recourse to Party Politics
| Pages | 41-52 |
| Published date | 01 January 1970 |
| Date | 01 January 1970 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb009644 |
| Author | JOHN L. EWING |
| Subject Matter | Education |
THE JOURNAL, OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION 41
VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 1 MAY, 1970
The Control of Education in New Zealand:
Centrality with Minimal Recourse to Party
Politics
JOHN L. EWING
(Adapted from a paper presented to the American Educational Research
Association at Minneapolis in March, 1970.)
An attempt is made to examine and assess the extent to which
general politics influence decisions on major educational issues in
a country, comparatively small, whose total population is 2.8
million. Education is centrally financed although locally adminis-
tered, and professional supervision is largely the responsibility
of a central agency. Educational decisions of any importance are
made centrally yet the intrusion of party politics into the
governance of education is seen to be minimal. A further con-
clusion is that the various groups involved in public education
have through consultation and negotiation achieved a workable
balance of power. The "politics of education" in New Zealand is
to he found in the relationships of these groups and the pres-
sures they are able to exert. This is an area that offers con-
siderable opportunity for research.
INTRODUCTION
By party politics in New Zealand I mean the abrasive conflict
on national issues between the country's two main political
parties, one of which is the Government, voted into power for a
three-year term, while the other "in opposition" is hoping to win
the support of a majority of voters in the country at the next
election. My contention is that the course of education in New
Zealand is not greatly affected by this contest, and that basic
educational decisions, though they are made centrally, are made
outside the strictly political sphere. This does not rule out the
fact that at times educational questions come up for political
debate in the national parliament or as issues, prior to a general
MR. JOHN L. EWING is Senior Lecturer in Education at Victoria University,
Wellington, N.Z. He holds the degree of M.A. from the University of Otago.
Dr. Ewing has written extensively on aspects of primary school education. His
most recent publication is Development of the New Zealand Primary School
Curriculum 1877-1970 (in press).
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