Henry S. Townsend, upon taking office as the Inspector General of Schools in Hawai'i in 1899, wrote in his biennial report that the knowledge of kanaka Hawai'i is remarkably "intimate and discriminating."  He also compared the literature of the people of Hawai'i to that of Greek mythology.  Furthermore, he noted that knowledge and traditions were memorialized without the use of writings, but through oral traditions.  Townsend, in his report, goes on to praise the extensive knowledge of kanaka Hawai'i by briefly listing the evidence that supports his perspective.  However, by the time that Townsend wrote his biennial report, irreparable changes in Hawaiian society, and their ways of knowing and doing, had already happen.

The transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next evolved drastically in the history of the Hawaiian people.  Most types of education in Hawaiian tradition were informal or non-formal.  This means that knowledge was acquired through practical learning based upon a learner's experiences in work, home, and with the environment.  Formal education was conducted by knowledge being imparted upon the learner through direct instruction and tutelage under close supervision by skilled individuals.  These types of education gave rise to a society that was highly advanced in the various crafts and occupations.  

However, the entrance of compulsory education for the initial purpose of converting early Hawaiians to Christianity proved to be a double edged sword.  Many articles and papers were published that preserved the Hawaiian culture, language, and ways of knowing and doing.  However, the ways of the Hawaiian ancestors were barely living in its people as a result of compulsory education efforts to educate early Hawaiians to read and write.  Many Hawaiians abandoned their occupations and became destitute, thus changing the nohona of the people.  Samuel M. Kamakau, a kingdom era scholar, noted:


Looking at the history of how the shift in Hawaiian education happen gives insight to the injustices in education for native learners and their current disposition.  When Townsend wrote his report, formal written education in Hawai'i had already been well established and codified in law.   In 1820, Liholiho (Kamehameha II) arranged an agreement with the first missionaries to teach the ali'i to read and write in order to set foot on Hawaiian soil; hence the beginning of "formal written instruction" in Hawai'i.   Early instruction was done in English and proved to be slow in progress.  However, teaching and learning the written language proved to be successful upon shifting the medium of instruction to 'ōlelo Hawai'i.  

There were two types of schools established in the early years of formal education in Hawai'i. "Select schools" were taught by missionaries and their wives, whereas "common schools" were taught by learned native teachers that reported to missionaries.  The tenacious nature to learn possessed by kanaka Hawai'i at the time resulted in over 1,100 schools being established in 11 short years, with the infrastructure for those schools being completely funded by Hawaii's monarchs.  By 1834, Hawai'i had a literacy rate higher than 91% with two Hawaiian newspapers in production. 

Up until 1840, when Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) established a central education system under the Department of Education, missionary influences dominated the education of kanaka Hawai'i.  In 1841, a Superintendent of the Whole was appointed along with agents for each of the 24 island districts to oversee education in Hawai'i.  The Board of Education was founded in 1855 by Alexander Liholiho (Kamehameha IV), and almost all missionary influences were severed.  Since then, the Department of Education has been the central body of public education in Hawai'i which endured the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, continued through the time of the Provisional Government of Hawai'i, and through Statehood into modern day.

The School Act of 1896 established English as the medium of instruction in Hawai'i schools, and punishment for speaking Hawaiian in schools began.  Efforts to revive the use of Hawaiian language in compulsory education have been arduous. Hawaiian language was absent in education for a period of 50 years.  Even after its first formal appearance in the classroom, students were still punished for its utilization.

Hawaiian language was reintroduced into education as a language course at the University of Hawai'i in 1949, followed shortly thereafter by Kamehameha Schools in 1961.  It wasn't until  1978, as a result of the Constitutional Convention held that year, that the Hawaiian Language  under Article XV, Section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution, became one of two official languages of the State.  Furthermore, the provision of Hawaiian education in culture, history, and language was provided for under Article X (Education), Section 4, which states: 

Since that time, 'Aha Pūnana Leo, a Hawaiian language immersion preschool, was established in 1984.  Hawaiian language immersion K-12 schools (Kaiapuni) subsequently emerged.  The inclusion of Hawaiian focused schools and public charter schools now are part of Hawai'i's educational fabric.  In 2015, the Board of Education established the Office of Hawaiian Education which oversees the expansion of Hawaiian education in Hawaii public schools. 

Nonetheless, Hawaiian language, history, dance and music, and crafts are the only recognized disciplines of learning in Hawaiʻi's education. Though Hawaiian some aspects of Hawaiian knowledge is sometimes incorporated in various disciplines such as science or through interdisciplinary studies offered through Hawaiian focused charter schools.  In addition, Kaiapuni schools struggle with standardized assessments that don't recognize Hawaiian ways of knowing and learning.  There is yet to be curriculum developed in science, math, and language arts (specifically literature) that are taught through Hawaiian content and adopted by the Hawaii Department of Education.