AGY-3875 | Broken Hill Public School [I] (1886-1893) Broken Hill Superior Public School (1893-1905) Broken Hill District School (1906-1919) Broken Hill Primary School Plus (1920-1934) Broken Hill Primary School [II] 1935 -

Full description

Broken Hill Public School opened in December 1886. The exact day is unknown. A public school was one which provided basic primary education, and when the Broken Hill school was established a minimum of 20 students was required. In May 1893 the School was converted to a Superior Public School. Schools of this classification taught secondary school level subjects (especially mathematics and languages) to students who had completed their primary courses. In January 1906 the Broken Hill school became one of the first District Schools. These schools contained both primary and secondary departments. In the latter they provided a two-year course to enable country children to achieve a higher level of education than had erstwhile been available to them locally, and in particular aimed at preparing children for teacher training. In January 1920 the school was reclassified as a primary school plus. The school consisted of a primary department and secondary departments. The secondary school consisted of
the Junior Technical School which prepared boys for entry to skilled trade courses by teaching subjects such as woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing; and
the Home Science School which offered domestic or commercial training for girls to prepare them for the workforce. Subjects taught included cookery, home management and household hygiene or shorthand, typing and economics. [The conversion to a Primary School Plus co-incided with the establishment of the Broken Hill High School which provided a more academic course at secondary level.] In January 1935 the school ceased teaching beyond primary level and returned to public school status. Reference
Government Schools of NSW 1848-2003. NSW Departmentof Education and Training 2003.