Stout Research Centre Fellowships
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Notes: I knew from conversations with fellow ex-Matau ranga students that many of them had given a great deal of thought to their primary years and New publications believed there were valuable lessons to be learnt. Matauranga: a radical experiment in From the timf! former Matauranga teacher education by Jeremy Rose Mike Regan and I first discussed the idea of a Edward Blishen once noted 'that in all the mil book - five years ago while I was studying jour lions of words written annually about education, nalism at the Wellington Polytechnic - I was one viewpoint is invariably absent - that of the determined it would be from the pupils' perspec tive. This was later slightly tempered by a child. The client of the school. It is difficult to think of any other sphere of social activity in former pupil when she mentioned that what she which the opinions of the customer are so per loved most about Matauranga was that it was a sistently overlooked'. I came to the same reali family school where the parents were as much a sation while searching for books to give me ideas part of the school as the pupils. for a planned history of Matauranga - one of New Matauranga was set up in 1963 by a group of Zealand's first alternative primary schools. Wellington mothers keen to see a school run Where were the books by the pupils of A.S. Neill, along similar lines to play centres. There was Tolstoy and John Holt? How did they feel about no corporal punishment, parents were expected to help . teachers were called by their first progressive education? It was a fruitless search. Perhaps, as one educationalist said to me 'It names and children were given a real say in the was not surprising, as one would expect the running of the school at a weekly meeting. It pupils of schools like Summerhill to be, in gen closed in 1982. In February this year a group of eral, w<;ll balanced forward-looking individuals former pupils. teachers and parents gave me the not interested in introspection'. It was a tidy go ahead to use money left over from its collapse explanation- but not one that rang entirely true. to fund the research and publishing of a book. JANUARY, 1991 17 During a four month period earlier this year 40 on self-government, transition to the state sys former pupils, 20 parents, eight teachers, three tem, learning through play and the collection of educationalists and a cake shop owner near the more than fifty interviews. It has twenty photos school were intereviewed for the project. They from the school's nineteen-year existence. I am were taped and on average took an hour each. indebted to Hugo Manson, New Zealand Oral Ar Copies are to be deposited in the Turnbull Li chive, for valuable technical advice and the Jack brary. I am neither an educationalist nor an Bott Foundation for financial assistance. historian so much of my methodology is no A4, landscapefonnat, 152pp doubt unorthodox. Very early on in the inter $25 (plus $3 p&p) from viewing process I threw away my list of questions The Bureau, P.O. Bax 6398, Te Aro, WeUington. because at times it seemed to have an almost (or phoneJeremy Rose (04) 801-7722, or Mark magical ability to make the most articulate of Cubey (04) 854-677.) people become stuttering mutes. Instead I encouraged people to talk freely about their time Alberton and Its Family by Jan Harris at Matauranga. Alberton, the home of the Kerr Taylor family One of the most common questions asked of for over lOO years, was bequeathed to the New alternative schools is "What's going to happen zealand Historic Places Trust in 1972. This when the kids hit the real world?'. Nearly thirty specially commissioned report describes years after Matauranga opened we can begin to Alberton's beginnings as a pioneer's farmhouse, answer the question. They have become teach the addition of the ornate balconies and towers, ers, cafe owners, dole bludgers, journalists, the era when Alberton was "the manor" of Mount actors, bookbinders, missionaries, peace activi Albert, and its many years as a self-sufficient tists, trainers of dogs for the blind, self employed country estate as well as a family home. The crafts people, strippers, farmers, house wives report discusses Allan Kerr Taylor's role in and husbands, artists, ambulance officers, trade public and social life and, from the evidence unionists and much more. In short they have available, makes observations about the lives of gone on to fill jobs in virtually all spheres oflife. the women of Alberton, particularly Sophia The one thing those interviewed had in common Davis, Allan's second wife, and her daughters. was that they had happy memories of their Other chapters focus on the servants and the primary schooling. Most, but by no means all, house and garden. felt their progressive primary schooling had The report reproduces family trees, photo benefited them, as the following quotations graphs, plans and maps of the house and se show: 'As far as I'm concerned Matauranga was lected contemporary documents. spot on' said Flip Calkoen. Matauranga has a A4, sid.estapled, soft cover, 70pp (incl. 17pp of bl. very special place in my heart, I feel very privi & w . photos and drawings). leged tq have gone to there', Flip Calkoen. On SBW 0-908577-14-1 the other hand Tor Riley felt 'It was an interest $19.95 (excl. postage) .from ing social experiment that was a waste of N.Z. Historic Places Trust money'. In Brent Mclntyre's words, "Well, we P.O. Box 2629, WeUington. had a good time eh? So it must have been a good school". But there were those who held A Handbook for Researchers by Jan Harris loftier ambitions for progressive schools. Eng This is a stiaightforward, readable guide in lish educator Susan Isaacs, 'Nhose ideas partly tended for non-professional researchers, whether inspired Matauranga, said : The aim of modern beginners or experienced. Although writtten education is to create people who are not only primarily for those researching for the New self-disciplined and free in spirit, gifted in work Zealand Historic Places Trust, it is hoped that and in enjoyment, worthy and desirable as the handbook will also be a useful tool for other persons, but also responsible and generous in researchers, educationists and students. social life, able to give and to take freely from Topics covered include project planning, visit others. willing to serve social ends and to lose ing the site, interpreting and assessing informa themselves in social purposes greater than tion, oral hist.ory. sources, and writing the re themselves'. search report. The interviews with former Matauranga pupils, A4 saddlestapled, 36pp parents and teachers that make up the bulk of ISBN 0-908577-16-8 the book, do I believe shed some light on how it $10.00 (excl. postage) .from did on that score. N.Z. Historic Places Trust Matauranga; a radical experiment in education P.O. Box 2629, WeUington. contains a short history of the school, chapters 18 STOUT CENTRE REVIEW Grahame Anderson, Architect, has a Claude New Publication McCarthy Fellowship to research the New Zea from the Stout land voyage of Abel Tasman. Migration and New zealand Society Professor Thomas Isem, Professor of History at A collection of all but three papers delivered at Emporia State University, Kansas, will be in the Stout Research Centre's Sixth Annual residence as a Fulbrlght Scholar from June until Conference. December. He is a specialist in the history of A4, soft cover, 14lpp. the Great Plains of North America and proposes $12.00 (incl. G.S.T. and postage) from to do comparative research on the agricultural Stout Research Centre, Victoria University of history of the tussock grasslands of New Zea Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington land. 1991 Stout Research Pen -Stout Research Centre Centre Conference Fellowships Friday September 6 to Sunday September 8 Five writers have been appointed Pen-Stout Research Fellows. They are, in order of resi AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND RELATIONSHIPS dence: The conference is planned to be a wide-rang Elizabeth Kno:z: (February-March), ofWelling ing one covering many aspects of trans-Tasman ton, who is completing the manuscript of a relationships. novel Treasure, commencing work on a novella, Anyone who Wishes to offer a paper at the and an essay on Vulgarity for the catalogue of an Conference is asked to contact the Director art exhibition. as soon as possible. Jan Kemp (April-Mayl. a New Zealander pres Stout Research Centre, P.O. Box 600, Wellington. ently teaching English at the National University Ph. (04) 721000, ex t 8877. of Singapore, who is completing a novel The Last Married Man, set in England, New Zealand and Stout Research Centre Hong Kong. Judith Holloway (June-July). of Porirua, who residents, 1991 will be working on a novel spanning five genera tions of a New Zealand Maort-Pakeha family. Dr.Brad Patterson will be working on a study of the political economy of settlement in the South Jeanette Galpln (August-September). of Marton, ern North Island districts between 1840 and who will be putting together a collection of short 1876. This study will endeavour to examine stories and researching a novel set in wartime contemporary theories of colonisation, both in Wellington. Britain and the colony and to establish what happened in practice. A central theme in his Sarah Qulgley (October-November). of Christ study wlll be the interaction between the devel church, who is working on the life and poetry of opment of a regional economy and the colonial Charles Brasch.