Te Kura 100 Years

In 2022 Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (The Correspondence School) marks its 100th anniversary. NZ Post’s June stamp issue paid homage to the early decades of the school, a time when lesson delivery was closely affiliated with NZ Post.

In 1922 Miss Janet MacKenzie arrived at the Department of Education in Wellington to start work as the first teacher of a new education endeavour - a ‘correspondence scheme’. She was allocated a small office on the second floor of Government Buildings. The roll rapidly grew from the estimated 25 primary-age students to 347 by the end of the first year, and everything was handwritten and sent by post.

Today more than 24,000 students are enrolled each year. Students of all ages, from early childhood to adult learners, study a vast array of topics, and lessons are now delivered instantly online. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu’s (Te Kura’s) transformation in the past 100 years has taken it from The Correspondence School, largely responsible for the education of ‘backblocks’ families - children living in lighthouses and on farms - to an online distance educator where Māori make up almost half of the full-time roll.

In the past 100 years, the school has undergone a remarkable transformation. But the profound mission of Te Kura has not deviated since 1922 - to provide education to tamariki and rangatahi who otherwise would miss out on the chance not just for an education, but the opportunity to transform their lives.

Janet MacKenzie would surely have been delighted to know that the school for which she built such strong foundations would endure, and remain just as relevant as ever, 100 years later.

$1.50 Early students, Wairarapa, 1930s This stamp shows one of the earliest known photos of Te Kura students. The boy is wearing the school’s uniform, worn when students attended courses away from home, although many liked to wear their uniforms while doing their lessons at home.

By the 1930s, there were almost 3,000 students enrolled in the Correspondence School, with a teaching staff of 108. A new headmaster, Arthur Butcher, was appointed in 1935. He believed that students needed more than lessons, and encouraged the formation of school clubs and societies. In 1935 he spent a fortnight of his holidays visiting pupils in the Wairarapa and southern Hawke’s Bay, leading to the establishment of the Visiting Teacher scheme. He also introduced camps, and residential schools where pupils could spend a month at a time.

In 1936 an Ex-Pupils’ Association was formed, followed by a Parents’ Association, and the school’s services were extended to include a Special Education Service. The school also got a permanent home in the former Clifton Terrace School in Wellington. In 1938, Butcher attended the first International Conference of Correspondence School Educators in Canada and learned that his school was regarded as a world leader.

$2.80 Collecting a mailbag, Aoraki Mt Cook, 1950s This image quintessentially represents the days of Te Kura, when lessons were delivered by post to remote rural locations. By the 1950s there was a vast array of topics taught, including courses in te reo Māori, a first in New Zealand schools.

In a time of growing prosperity in the country, the Correspondence School now had 5,000 on the roll, a staff of 134 and an administrative staff of 41. As well as managing school exams, the school was preparing students for teachers’ certificates, diplomas of fine arts, public service examinations, qualifying examinations for entrance to the clerical division of the public service, and first-division Post Office entrance.

The Visiting Teacher Scheme had gone a long way to connecting the students with the school, and headmaster Eric Le Petit was determined to do more. A new Resident Teachers scheme was introduced. Permanently stationed in districts, teachers organised ‘School Days’ where students would join classes at host schools and meet other pupils, and enjoy the benefits of having specialist teachers.

In 1955 a film about the Correspondence School, A Letter to the Teacher, was shown in theatres throughout the country and was later nominated for inclusion in the Berlin Film Festival.

$3.60 Receiving school work, Arapito, 1960s In this stamp a student is shown receiving lessons in the iconic green canvas envelope that could be used to receive and send schoolwork.

With post-war society evolving into a new era of fashion, music and politics, the 1960s was a time when youth culture flourished and the concept of teenagers was firmly established in the lexicon.

At the Correspondence School, headmaster Albert O’Reilly, like his two most recent predecessors, was appointed to the position having already spent many years on the staff. He had also had a distinguished war career, having received a Military Cross for outstanding service.

The school continued to have a strong sense of its role in the education system and was lauded by officials with frequent visits from Ministers of Education and others. The school was also praised by a 1960 Royal Commission for its work with rural children with special education needs. One popular innovation, introduced by O’Reilly, was a Study Week, which took School Certificate candidates to Wellington for five days of intensive preparation - as well as providing the chance for some sightseeing around the capital.

$4.10 Lighthouse lessons, Tiritiri Matangi, 1970s Although this photo represents the stereotypical image of remote learning, the Correspondence School had significantly diversified. Both rural and urban students were enrolled, and remote early childhood education was made available for the first time.

By the 1970s, many aspects of the school were changing. Headmaster Hector McVeagh was dealing with the imminent demolition of the school’s main building on Clifton Terrace to make way for the new Wellington motorway. The nature of the roll was also changing. Of the 8,000 students, almost half were now adults. Meanwhile, the number being enrolled for reasons of isolation was falling. Hundreds of children of diplomats, missionaries, academics on sabbatical leave, volunteers on international aid projects, and members of the armed forces were studying overseas. Back home, some were seeking different lifestyles, often taking to the road and enrolling their children as ‘travelling around New Zealand’.

The 1970s ended with the opening of a permanent home at Portland Crescent.