▁attended , ▁the ▁school ▁opened ▁with ▁five ▁classes ▁for ▁men , ▁two ▁classes ▁for ▁women ▁and ▁classes ▁for ▁boys . ▁Class es ▁covered ▁practical ▁knowledge ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁teaching ▁of ▁the ▁script ures . ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁the ▁government ▁subs id ised ▁church ▁schools ▁for ▁M ā ori . ▁Early ▁mission ary ▁schools ▁were ▁often ▁conducted ▁in ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁language , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁language ▁throughout ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁three - quarters ▁of ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁population ▁could ▁read ▁in ▁M ā ori ▁and ▁two - third s ▁could ▁write ▁in ▁M ā ori . ▁The ▁Education ▁Ord in ance ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁provided ▁fund ing ▁for ▁mission ▁schools ▁and ▁required ▁them ▁to ▁conduct ▁classes ▁in ▁English ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁receive ▁subs id ies . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Wars ▁forced ▁the ▁closure ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁mission ▁schools . ▁However , ▁Te ▁A ute ▁College ▁and ▁H uk ar ere ▁Girls ' ▁College ▁in ▁Haw kes ▁Bay , ▁which ▁were ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁C MS , ▁were ▁not ▁impact ed ▁by ▁the ▁wars . ▁School s ▁for ▁M ā ori ▁children ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁tradition , ▁including ▁H ato ▁Pa ora ▁College ▁( Fe ild ing ); ▁and ▁St ▁Joseph ' s ▁M ā ori ▁Girls ' ▁College ▁( T ar ad ale ), ▁were ▁also