NRS-16910 | Visitors' Books [Laguna 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 signatures in this book are those of clergymen and church-workers visiting the school in order to provide religious instruction. Other regular signatories are the Inspectors of Schools on their periodic visits to the school, District School Counsellors (from 1947), Assistant Supervisors for Physical Education (from 1952), Council Health Inspectors, officers of the Child Welfare Department and, until 1937, the supervisors of the annual Primary Finals Examinations. Until 1929, and again in 1932, the Inspectors of Schools have added to their signatures a note of the number of pupils present on the day of inspection. Occasional visits are also made by Police Safety Lecturers, officers of the Public Works Department and representatives of the Commonwealth Bank. From 1928 or earlier until 1947, Teachers-in-Charge have signed the book on the occasion of their entering on duty or returning from leave, as has a Relieving Teacher in 1947.

Signatures also appear of the visitors to a Red Cross function held at the school in May, 1941, to Education Week Open Days (“Parents’ Days”) held in 1954, 1955 and 1957, and to unidentified events in October, 1956 and May, 1957. Parties from Greater Cessnock Council visited the school in September, 1957 and May, 1958, on the former occasion coinciding with the school’s polio vaccinations and on the latter occasion including the Mayor.

The final page of the volume has been adapted for use as a Time Book, with entries dated to February, 1939 and October, 1942.