New Zealand educational institution training teachers
Main entrance and hall (in 2020).
Wellington College of Education (formerly Wellington Teachers' Training College) was established in 1888 with the purpose of educating teachers in New Zealand. It became the Faculty of Education of Victoria University of Wellington, formed from the School of Education (of the Faculty of Humanities of Social Sciences) of the University, and the Wellington College of Education on 1 January 2005.[1][2][3]
From 1968 to 2016, it occupied an architecturally award winning campus in the Wellington suburb of Karori, designed by local architect William Toomath. The campus was awarded an NZIA Silver Medal (1972), and an NZIA Local Award (Enduring Architecture) (2005).[4] The campus had many facilities including a marae called Ako Pai Marae that was closed in 2016.
About
Wellington Teachers’ Training College had a 125th anniversary in 2005, the College having been originally established in 1880.[5]
A decision to expand the teacher training facilities in Wellington was made in the 1930s, however it was not until 1966 that the building of the Karori campus began. There were teacher training reforms in the mid-twentieth centenary that were triggered by increased populations after World War Two.[4] The campus was architecturally significant and had a Category 1 rating by Heritage New Zealand.[6] It was transferred from the Ministry of Education to Victoria University of Wellington in 2004 for $10. It was sold by Victoria University of Wellington to Ryman Healthcare in 2017 for $28 million.[7] Two of the heritage buildings were subsequently planned for demolition as part of the development by Ryman's, with Historic Places Wellington stating this would be a "significant cultural loss".[7] A local group proposed the hall and cafeteria be retained for community use.[8]
Part way through demolition in 2020
Architectural detail
Side of the hall
Tower block during demolition
Architectural detail
'Te Whanau o Ako Pai o te Upoko o Te Ika' - sign over main entrance
The faculty has had many notable teachers and students over its long history, significantly in New Zealand’s education system, arts sector and Māori rights movement.[4]
Māori studies was introduced in 1963 with the appointment of Barry Mitcalfe in the Department of Social Studies. Tīpene O'Reagan joined Mitcalfe in 1968 and then redesigned the programme in 1972 when Mitcalfe left.[9]
Author David McGill, who attended in the early 1960s, says of his experience:
As students, we all wore desert boots, fishermen's knit jerseys. We'd go to cafes and pubs. Barrett's was the nearest pub, or the George. Girls weren't allowed into pubs, so we'd go into coffee bars with them.[10] Those were the days, at that wonderful teachers' college in Karori, with liberal teachers like Jack Shallcrass.[11]
Wellington Teachers Training College was renamed the Wellington College of Education in 1988 in line with government policy.[12][13][14]
Notable staff
Fanny Irvine-Smith lectured in New Zealand history and Māori culture until 1932. (These subjects were not taught much at this time and so this was quite unique). Irvine-Smith was also the president of the Wellington Teachers College dramatic society.[15][16]
^Bremner, Julie (1998). "Irvine-Smith, Fanny Louise". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
^Bridget, Underhill. "Keri Ngapera Kaa". Kōmako - a bibliography of writing by Māori in English. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
^Middleton, Sue (2019). "Geraldine In her own words". In Middleton, Sue; May, Helen (eds.). For Women and Children: A Tribute to Geraldine McDonald. NZCER Press. pp. 19–46. hdl:10289/12891. ISBN978-1-988542-78-2.