NRS-16884 | Visitors' Books [Johnson's Creek Public School]

Full description

The Public Instruction Act, 1866 authorised special religious instruction by visiting clergymen and their delegates (Public Schools Act, 1866, s. 19), and regulations under the Act authorised members of the public to visit schools during ‘the hours of secular instruction’ to observe teaching methods, teaching material and equipment (Regulations adopted by the Council of Education on 27 February 1867, s. 84-85). The regulations required every teacher to keep a visitors’ book ‘in which visitors may enter their names and if they think proper any remarks. Such remarks the Teachers are by no means to erase or alter.’ (Regulations … s. 86).

The purpose of the visitors’ book was to create a record of the persons other than pupils or teachers who attended the school during business hours. Visitors’ books were divided into three columns – date, name and remarks. The remarks usually recorded the purpose of the visit which included religious instruction (by far the most usual purpose for visiting a school), school inspection, medical inspection, departmental officers visiting on business e.g. to inspect the buildings or equipment, and guest speakers. Occasionally visitors (particularly Inspectors) remarked briefly on the conduct or the ambience of the school.

The overwhelming majority of entries in this volume are made by clergy visiting the school in order to provide religious instruction. The final clergy entry, on the above date, is followed by the note: “continued in Rel. Inst. Book.” The whereabouts of this record are not now known.The only other regular signatories to the volume are the Inspectors of Schools making their regular visits of inspection to the school. Until 1929 it is commonly, although not invariably, the case that the Inspector has added a note of the number of children in attendance, out of the school’s total enrolment, to the record of his visit.

Occasional visitors to the school over the years include Attendance Officers, Health Inspectors, Physical Training Advisors and officers of the Child Welfare Department. In 1960 the most frequent signature is that of the visiting Sewing Teacher. In 1946 the school received a visit from the Minister for Education, the Hon. R.J. Heffron, and the M.L.A. for Gloucester, Mr R.L. Fitzgerald.