Question 033

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QUESTION:
What year was New Zealand Cadet Forces established and where ?
ANSWER:
The proud tradition of New Zealand Cadets goes back 150 years to the establishment of the Dunedin High School Cadet Unit (now Otago Boys High School) in 1864. Other secondary schools soon followed, with the formation of Cadet Units at Nelson College, Christ’s College, Wellington College and Auckland Grammar.
Cadet units evolved with the Volunteer period of 1864 – 1902 and were based on the training doctrine used in the British Public Schools, with an emphasis on rigid discipline and shooting marksmanship. All training was entirely controlled by the Headmaster, with the Army initially not being involved.
This would change in 1902 with the introduction of the Education Act. Most secondary schools formed cadet units (now Public School Cadets) and the Army became involved in training after their overseas experience in the Anglo-Boer War and a realisation that the world was changing in terms of the British Empire.
REFERENCES:
History of the New Zealand Cadet Forces
http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/newsletter/museum-news-january-2014.html