NRS-16891 | Visitors' Books [Kar's Springs Public School]

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.A section of the book, five pages in all, including a separate title page, has been dedicated to record the visitors who attended the opening of the new school building by the Newcastle Are Director of Education, Mr W.A. Gelfius, on the 26th October, 1961. Visitors to the school on the Education Week Open Days held intermittently from 1954 onwards are also generally recorded in separate headed sections of the book, although these generally take up less than one page each.Until 1944, a series of entries record those who attended meetings of parents held at the school in order to plan events such as school picnics, school socials and the school’s annual Christmas Tree.Otherwise, the most frequent visitors to the school during most of the period covered by this volume were clergy, visiting to provide religious instruction to the pupils, and until 1935 the number of pupils receiving instruction at each visit is normally entered in the “Remarks” column of the book. No record of visiting clergy occurs after February, 1963, which raises the possibility that a separate Visiting Clergy Book may have existed after this time; if this was indeed the case, its whereabouts are not now known.The Inspectors of Schools sign the book on their regular visits of inspection, and from 1927 to 1929 these entries include a note of the number of children present on the day, out of the school’s total enrolment. Visiting Medical Officers also normally enter the number of children examined.

《1866年公共教育法案》（The Public Instruction Act, 1866）授权来访神职人员及其代表开展特殊宗教教学（《1866年公立学校法案》（Public Schools Act,1866）第19条）；该法案下的规章则允许公众在“世俗教学时间”（the hours of secular instruction）到访学校，观察教学方法、教材及设备（1867年2月27日教育委员会通过的规章第84-85条）。规章要求每位教师保管一本访客登记簿（Visitors’ Book），“访客可在此登记姓名，若认为合适亦可留下评论。教师绝不得删除或修改此类评论。”（上述规章第86条）。

访客登记簿的设立目的是记录非学生或教师人员在工作时间到访学校的情况。登记簿分为三栏：日期、姓名及备注。备注通常记录到访目的，包括宗教教学（迄今为止最常见的到访事由）、学校检查、医疗检查、部门官员因公到访（如检查校舍或设备）及特邀演讲者。偶尔访客（尤其是检查员）会简要评论学校的管理或氛围。

登记簿中有一个部分（共五页，含单独标题页）专门记录1961年10月26日纽卡斯尔地区教育局长W.A. Gelfius先生主持新校舍启用仪式时的到访人员。1954年起间歇性举办的教育周开放日期间的学校访客，通常也记录在登记簿中带标题的单独部分，尽管每个部分一般不超过一页。

1944年之前，一系列条目记录了参加学校家长会议的人员，这些会议旨在策划学校野餐、社交活动及年度圣诞树活动等。

除此之外，本卷所涵盖的大部分时期内，学校最频繁的访客是神职人员，他们到访为学生提供宗教教学；1935年之前，每次到访接受教学的学生人数通常会录入登记簿的“备注”栏。1963年2月之后，无神职人员到访记录，这引发了一种可能性：此后可能存在单独的《神职人员到访登记簿》（Visiting Clergy Book）；若情况属实，其下落目前未知。

学校检查员在定期检查到访时会在登记簿上签名；1927至1929年间，这些条目还会注明当日到校儿童人数占学校总注册人数的情况。到访医务人员通常也会记录接受检查的儿童人数。