This thesis is a study of historical aspects of New Zealand state education policies. Within the neo-Marxist tradition of the sociology of education, there has recently been much debate over the need to re-interpret the historical development of state education policies. This trend stems from a perceived breakdown in the liberal foundations of education in the past decade. This work is concerned with developing a historically and sociologically adequate framework for analysing aspects of state policy in education, and using this framework to explore and re-interpret selected policies in particular periods.
