▁not ▁impact ed ▁by ▁the ▁wars . ▁ ▁Native ▁schools ▁The ▁Native ▁School s ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁shift ▁in ▁policy . ▁R ather ▁than ▁helping ▁churches ▁to ▁re build ▁mission ▁schools ▁after ▁ ▁the ▁wars , ▁the ▁government ▁offered ▁sec ular , ▁state - control led , ▁primary ▁schools ▁to ▁M ā ori ▁communities ▁who ▁pet ition ed ▁for ▁them . ▁In ▁return ▁for ▁providing ▁a ▁suitable ▁site , ▁the ▁government ▁provided ▁a ▁school , ▁teacher , ▁books , ▁and ▁materials . ▁Native ▁school ▁teachers ▁frequently ▁also ▁provided ▁medic ines ▁and ▁medical ▁advice ▁to ▁their ▁pup ils ▁and ▁their ▁families , ▁and ▁acted ▁as ▁l ia ison ▁between ▁rural ▁communities ▁and ▁the ▁government . ▁The ▁Act ▁required ▁that ▁instruction ▁be ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁English ▁where ▁pract ic able . ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁official ▁policy ▁b anning ▁children ▁from ▁speaking ▁M ā ori , ▁but ▁M ā ori ▁children ▁were ▁often ▁phys ically ▁pun ished ▁for ▁speaking ▁M ā ori ▁at ▁school ▁and ▁this ▁practice , ▁which ▁pers isted ▁for ▁dec ades ▁after ▁the ▁act ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁massive ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁Te ▁Re o ▁language . ▁ ▁James ▁Henry ▁Pope ▁( 1 8 3 7 – 1 9 1 3 ) ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁organ ising ▁inspect or ▁of ▁native ▁schools ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁and ▁he ▁issued ▁a ▁Native ▁School s ▁Code ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁that