Pre-Contact Education
Before the Missionaries arrived in Hawaii, education was passed down through things like stories, legends and chants. Although the ancient Hawaiians did not have books, they still had a system of learning. Many things were taught by observing others. Children observed their parents and family members doing a specific task and then tried to do it themselves. However, the education system depended on birth status. For example, the children of the Ali'i learned to be leaders, children of the kahuna studied the profession of their parents (sorcery, magic, or any profession in general). Without books, all of the practices were taught through oral tradition.
Post-Contact Education
After the American missionaries arrived in Hawaii, they introduced schooling. They concentrated on teaching the chiefs first because the chiefs soon supported the missionaries' ideas of education. Then, the majority of the population of Hawaii went to school to learn about God and also learned how to read and write. The teaching of reading and writing was effective because a system of writing the Hawaiian language was created. The missionaries also introduced the printing press so it could produce books, bibles and newspapers in the Hawaiian language. A noteworthy document that was printed was the pi'apa, which was a leaflet that included sentences, Bible verses and spelling words.
With the help of Ka'ahumanu, who was the kuhina nui at the time, over a thousand schools were established in Hawaii. At the time, the teaching system was rather unorthodox. The students of the school consisted of Hawaiian adults, and were divided in different groups. In the different groups, students were drilled by more advanced students, and the brightest students were sent to start schools of their own. In 1830, more than a thousand schools have been established. However, with the death of Ka'ahumanu in 1832, the missionaries lost their most important ally to the education system.
After the death of Ka'ahumanu, the missionaries decided to teach Hawaiian children, rather than adults. They trained people to become teachers of these children at Lahainaluna. When the new system of education was established, there were also different kinds of schools that were established. Common schools made the majority of the amount of schools there were in Hawaii. Common schools were taught by native teachers under the supervision of the missionaries and were attended by children of commoners. Select schools were boarding schools that were taught by missionaries. Religion still played a big part in both schools, as the Bible was read at the beginning and the end of the school day. A special feature of Hawaiian schools was the ho'ike, which was a quarterly examination of the pupils. The kings and chiefs attended this occasion, and the students publicly displayed what they have learned in school. After the 1840 constitution, the missionaries were no longer in control of the education system, and the government eventually molded the system to what it is today.
With the help of Ka'ahumanu, who was the kuhina nui at the time, over a thousand schools were established in Hawaii. At the time, the teaching system was rather unorthodox. The students of the school consisted of Hawaiian adults, and were divided in different groups. In the different groups, students were drilled by more advanced students, and the brightest students were sent to start schools of their own. In 1830, more than a thousand schools have been established. However, with the death of Ka'ahumanu in 1832, the missionaries lost their most important ally to the education system.
After the death of Ka'ahumanu, the missionaries decided to teach Hawaiian children, rather than adults. They trained people to become teachers of these children at Lahainaluna. When the new system of education was established, there were also different kinds of schools that were established. Common schools made the majority of the amount of schools there were in Hawaii. Common schools were taught by native teachers under the supervision of the missionaries and were attended by children of commoners. Select schools were boarding schools that were taught by missionaries. Religion still played a big part in both schools, as the Bible was read at the beginning and the end of the school day. A special feature of Hawaiian schools was the ho'ike, which was a quarterly examination of the pupils. The kings and chiefs attended this occasion, and the students publicly displayed what they have learned in school. After the 1840 constitution, the missionaries were no longer in control of the education system, and the government eventually molded the system to what it is today.
Education in Hawaii: The Future
I predict that education will still be the same as it is now. There may be new standards of education/curicculums that will be established, but for the most part, I believe that education will remain the same.