Church initiated and operated Māori secondary boarding schools have existed in Aotearoa in various forms since the arrival of the missionaries in the early 19th century. Since their inception, they have contributed significantly to the development of Māori society, particularly in the production of dynamic Māori leaders who have had a compelling influence on their communities, wider Māori society and in some instances on the nation state. This thesis will examine the Society of Mary's establishment of Hato Paora College, Feilding, as an example of a Māori Catholic secondary boarding school.
The first part contains four general chapters that provide relevant background information to the establishment of Hato Paora. The first identifies key aspects of a Māori Catholic world view and Māori Catholicism. Chapter two traces the arrival, and subsequent development, of the Catholic Church in New Zealand as a mission to Māori. The next chapter looks more specifically at the history of the Society of Mary in New Zealand and the development of the Diocese of Wellington, particularly their Māori missions, under their authority. Finally, Chapter four chronicles the situation of Māori within the New Zealand education system since its inception.
Part two of this thesis contains eight chapters that present a detailed case study of Hato Paora. The exploration of the type of educational environment provided by Hato Paora College begins in Chapter six with the examination of its foundation. Chapters seven and eight look at the philosophies and administration of each of the six rectors. The two succeeding chapters describe the defining characteristics of the school, its Māori character and its Catholic character. Chapter eleven evaluates how this school has influenced the boys who attended, using interviews with a representative sampling of old boys. Chapter twelve concerns the relationships that the College early established with the Māori communities that it belongs to.
In the final chapter, a model will be presented as a plan for the future of the school. This philosophical model attempts to provide a guide for Hato Paora, using Kaupapa Māori theory as the basic framework, while still retaining the ideals and philosophies of the College's Marist founders.
