Before the coming of Europeans to New Zealand, the education of Maori children was shared by home and community. From their grandparents and parents they learnt the language and standards of behaviour. In the community they developed skill in fishing, hunting, gardening, house-building, cooking, mat-making, and basketry. The more difficult arts of wood-carving and tattooing were taught by experts while instruction in tribal law was given to the sons of chiefs and priests in a building known as the “whare-wananga”.