NRS-17243 | Visitors' Books [Thornton 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.Prior to February, 1959, the great majority of signatures in this volume are those of clergy or their assigns visiting the school in order to provide religious instruction to the pupils. Such signatures cease almost completely after this point, which would seem to indicate that the school maintained a separate Visiting Clergy Book from this time, a supposition borne out by the fact that the only two subsequent clergy signatures not connected with particular commemorative events, entered in May, 1961, have been annotated “Transferred to Correct Book.” Other regular visitors to the school included the Inspectors of Schools, on their normal visits of inspection; Police Lecturers, who normally sign at least twice a year, and generally once a term; Physical Education advisors, School Counsellors, officers of the Department of Health and the Child Welfare Department, and representatives of Dr Barnardo’s Homes. Tuberculosis (TB) testing was carried out at the school in September, 1959.In September, 1957, the school was visited by a party headed by the Minister for Education, Mr R. J. Heffron, and the MLA for Maitland, Mr Milton Morris (subsequently Minister for Transport). Mr Morris visited the school again in June, 1958 (when he was accompanied by the Area Director of Education, Mr Gelfius), in May, 1960 (accompanied by his wife and by an Alderman from Newcastle), in June, 1965 (again accompanied by the Area Director), in November, 1965 (accompanied by the Assistant Minister for Education, Mr Wal Fife) and in October, 1969.The volume also contains the signatures of those members of the general public who attended the school’s Education Week Open Days in 1956, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1969, the celebration of Commonwealth Day in 1959 and 1965, and the school’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in 1969. The local clergy who took part in the Commonwealth Day observations in 1962, 1963 and 1964 have also signed the volume on these occasions.

《1866年公共教育法（Public Instruction Act 1866）》授权由到访牧师及其代表开展特殊宗教教育（《1866年公立学校法（Public Schools Act 1866）》第19条）；该法配套条例允许公众成员于世俗教育时段（the hours of secular instruction）到访学校，观摩教学方法、教学材料与教学设备（1867年2月27日教育委员会通过的条例第84-85条）。该条例要求每位教师留存访客登记簿（visitors’ book），规定"访客可在此登记姓名，若有意愿亦可填写评论。教师绝对不得擦除或修改此类评论"（条例……第86条）。

访客登记簿的用途在于记录非学生或教师且在办公时段到访学校的人员。登记簿共设三栏：日期、姓名与评论。评论栏通常记录到访目的，包括宗教教育（为到访学校最常见的目的）、学校视察、医疗检查、部门官员因公到访（例如视察校舍或设备）以及特邀演讲者。部分访客（尤其是学校视察员）会简要评论学校的管理状况或校园氛围。

1959年2月之前，本卷宗中的绝大多数签名均为牧师或其指派人员的签名，他们到访学校旨在为学生提供宗教教育。在此之后，此类签名几乎完全消失，这似乎表明该校自此时起开始单独留存牧师到访登记簿。这一推测可由以下事实佐证：1961年5月登记的仅有的两笔与特定纪念活动无关的牧师签名，均标注有"Transferred to Correct Book"（已转入正式登记簿）。

该校其他常规访客包括常规巡查的学校视察员；通常每年至少签到两次、一般每学期一次的警务讲师；体育顾问、学校辅导员、卫生部与儿童福利部官员，以及巴纳多博士之家（Dr Barnardo’s Homes）代表。1959年9月，该校开展了结核病（Tuberculosis, TB）检测。

1957年9月，由教育部长R·J·赫夫伦先生与梅特兰选区立法会议员（Member of the Legislative Assembly, MLA）米尔顿·莫里斯先生（后任交通部长）率领的代表团到访该校。莫里斯先生曾多次到访该校：1958年6月（由学区教育主任格尔菲厄斯先生陪同）、1960年5月（由其妻子与纽卡斯尔市议员陪同）、1965年6月（再次由学区教育主任陪同）、1965年11月（由教育助理部长沃尔·法夫先生陪同）以及1969年10月。

本卷宗还收录了参与该校1956年、1965年、1966年、1967年及1969年教育周开放日，1959年与1965年英联邦日（Commonwealth Day）庆祝活动，以及1969年该校50周年校庆活动的普通公众签名。1962年、1963年及1964年参与英联邦日纪念活动的当地神职人员，也在此类场合于本卷宗上签名。