after a three-month period as an organising teacher in taranaki in 1879; in jan 1880, pope was appointed to be an organising inspector of the 57 native schools. this was the first opportunity of the education department to exert a direct influence on this branch of the national education system. his role was to supervise the teachers, inspect their work and examine pupils. his title was changed to inspector of native schools in 1885. popes first task was to draft the native school code which would provide policy guidelines.