The Anzac Iliad: Early New Zealand School Journals and the development of the citizen-child in the new dominion

Abstract

The New Zealand School Journal was established in 1907 to provide reading material across the primary school curriculum. Linked to reforms of the school curriculum, the School Journal aimed to introduce curriculum content relevant to New Zealand children. With the outbreak of the First World War, however, the School Journal became harnessed to the war effort, becoming entrenched in civic instruction and an upsurge in imperialism. Inclusion of patriotic reading material strongly reflected notions of self-sacrifice and reinforced concepts of the dutiful citizen-child. This article explores how preparation for war, and portrayal of war, fostered a particular notion of New Zealand’s developing identity and the role that the citizen-child had to play in the new dominion. Literary integration of subjects and genres, collapses of time and location, along with juxtaposition of items within the School Journal, particularly through the use of the Anzac story, solidified this emergent New Zealand identity. The School Journal, as de facto curriculum, became complicit in the creation and maintenance of the Anzac myth as a basis for the ideal New Zealand citizen through annual commemorative issues of the School Journal, culminating with Anzac Day as a newly created national holiday in 1923.

Political indoctrination through myth building: The New Zealand School Journal at the time of World War 1

“…Data relating to content, themes, type of text, year of publication, class level, and relationship to other items were synthesised and categorised. Once a strong theme was identified, researchers could access both original data and summary tables to develop their ideas (see, for example, Bingham, 2017;Perreau & Kingsbury, 2017). The database of word-searchable scanned copies of the School Journal (now up to the year 1985) remains available to other researchers at The University of Auckland through a restricted library portal.…”

Moments of Possibility in Politics, Policy, and Practice in New Zealand Citizenship Education

“…The arrival of the First World War further amplified these ideas. The curriculum became harnessed to the war effort, constantly reminding children of their duty to the Empire and promoting the values of heroism and self-sacrifice (Perreau & Kingsbury, 2017).…”