NRS-16776 | Visitors' Books [Ellalong 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 series from Ellalong Public School is represented by a single volume, in which are recorded visitors to the school during the years 1908 – 1958. The overwhelming majority of these were clergy or their representatives visiting for the purpose of providing religious instruction to the pupils. The number of children attending religious instruction classes has been entered under the “comments” section from 1908 to 1912 (along with occasional notes of the reason for low attendances).

Otherwise, the School Inspector and other occasional visitors have signed the book, as have the visitors to the school’s Education Week displays in 1955 – 1957, the Empire Day celebrations in May, 1949, and the exhibition of schoolwork held in November, 1949. A section of entries on the 23rd April, 1948 is headed “Centenary Visitors.”