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Education in Eighteenth Century Polynesia
- Edited by Jean Kommers, Eric Venbrux
- Dave Lyddon, Kurt Vandaele
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- Book:
- Cultural Styles of Knowledge Transmission
- Published by:
- Amsterdam University Press
- Published online:
- 21 January 2021
- Print publication:
- 14 February 2009, pp 25-31
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Because of the limited size allowed for an article in this Festschrift, this can be no more than a short reconnaissance of the educational field, concentrating on Polynesia in the second half of the eighteenth century, when European visitors arrived at the islands. I will use here mainly the observations of eighteenth century Europeans, though their observations on education are merely incidental in nature, and scattered in bits and pieces over their journals. This is not surprising, for education in the islands was rather informal and hardly structured.
Generally speaking, education was received at home. The boys imitated their fathers (uncles, elder brothers), the girls assisted their mothers (sisters, aunts) and thus learned the household chores. One of the few visitors who made some coherent observations on the education of Polynesian boys and girls was the naturalist-philosopher Johann Reinhold Forster, who accompanied James Cook on his second voyage (1772-1775). His description, summarizing his observations of the Tahitian and Tongan situation, is couched in detailed, long winding prose, but therefore has the advantage of being rather comprehensive:
The first notions necessary for the way of life now in use in these islands, are instilled into the tender minds of the children by their parents: these notions may be divided into various branches, as varied as the objects are to which they relate; the more universally necessary objects of all nations, are food, raiment, and shelter against the inclemencies of the weather; the operations therefore relative to food, dress and habitation are the first, which are taught the children by their parents. As these nations [the Polynesian, C.] have not yet a multiplicity of artificial wants, and as their time is not yet taken up with any business more material than the three enumerated articles, their manufactures are in consequence very simple, and undivided in many branches; nay they are all thought necessary for every individual in these isles, and for that reason every child is instructed in the best methods of cultivating the bread-fruit tree, the plantane-stalks, the roots of yams, and other eatable roots; the most expeditious ways for catching fish, the proper season and bait for each kind, and the places which they haunt and resort to, are told to their children;