Rousseau Childhood Education

Rousseau and Wollstonecraft played a crucial part in changing the understanding of childhood education. Rousseau and Wollstonecraft’s ideas and how they are linked to the enlightenment, and how their ideas were used by the European missionaries that came to New Zealand are important in discussions about children’s learning and education.

Jean Jacque Rousseau had many ideas about childhood such as the theory that men were above woman. Rousseau believed that woman should stay at home and provide for the family, and do household chores, while the husband gets an education. “A woman’s education must be planned in relation to man. To be pleasing in his sight to win his respect and love, to train him in childhood, to tend to him in manhood, to

Wollstonecraft thought that woman were capable to make the same choices as men and believed that woman could have the same opportunities. Which would mean woman would be free to make their own choices, make their own decisions and for woman to have their own autonomy. “… Make women rational creatures, and free citizens and they will quickly become good mothers; that is - if men do not neglect their duties as husbands and fathers.”(May, 2015). This would also create equality amongst men and woman and the social classes. Wollstonecraft wanted a mixed education of both girls and boys together in a classroom. When Wollstonecraft purposed this idea it was seen as dangerous and radical. Secondly Wollstonecraft believed that woman should have the right to be educated like men and to be able to have independence and free choice. Educating woman would mean that woman would be more independent and they can educate their children properly instead of teaching children to do house hold chores, therefore giving woman an education would mean society could improve. “To be a good mother a women must have sense, and that independence of mind which few women possess who are taught to depend entirely on their husbands… Women’s contribution will be to educate the new generation of children, and for this she must educate herself. Wollstonecraft redefined a rational motherhood” (May, 2015).There were many people

European missionaries wanted to build schools and introduce the Europeans education system. The missionaries wanted to influence the local Maori tribes with the European education system. “They came, they saw, they named, they claimed” (May, H, 2013, p. 25). There aims included stopping people from being against the church, preventing ‘heathens’. The missionaries also wanted to create a civilised and enlightened society.). They introduced education because parents were seen as a bad influence and the missionaries wanted to change the mind-set of children so they are not like the adult around them. The first infant to school opened in Paihia in 1833, by Henry Williams and his wife. The missionaries used Rousseau and Wollstonecraft’s ideas for example, the missionary’s struggled to keep the children inside the classroom especially the Maori children. So they had to try a different method of teaching by removing the children outside, letting them explore nature and giving them the right to learn what they want to learn, when they want to. This is one of Rousseau’s ideas of the ‘free child’. The children were taught together both girls and boys in a classroom, this was unusual as it was against the church. However Wollstonecraft’s idea of equality for all students influences the missionaries to teach the children and providing the option to be educated. Although the main reason the missionaries established schooled in New Zealand