VPRS 20942 Inspector's Register Books

This series consists of Inspector's Registers, which provide remarks about the school building and grounds, student examination results, and teaching as observed by the Inspector at the time of their visit at Watchbox Gully State School (School No. 2375) (VA 5601). School Inspectors reported on teacher, student, and school performance and the implementation of Department policies at Victorian government schools from 1852 until 1984. Outside of their advisory and assessment duties, District Inspectors oversaw fielding, investigating and responding to complaints and concerns regarding teachers.  Inspectors, collectively known as the Inspectorate, were first appointed following a Report from the Select Committee on Education in 1852, and from 1853 were directly accountable to the National Board of Commissioners. From 1862, they were appointed by the Board of Education (VA 713), and from then until 1904 were accountable to the Board and its successors.  Reports were made by the Inspector in Inspector’s Registers from approximately 1862 until the late 19th century, when they were replaced by Inspector’s Report Books until end of the Inspectorial System in 1984 after which greater accountability was given to school councils and principals.  The Inspector’s Report Book were issued to all schools by the Education Department (VA 714) and its successors. The Inspectors recorded the school number, date and time of visit, comments, and signed the books. Some books also contain official Departmental receipts for donations collected from the head teacher for textbooks. Reports were created by Departmental Inspectors during annual and supplementary visits to government schools. Inspections (and comments) were made regarding the number of pupils present and their general appearance, the condition of the school grounds, buildings, furniture and recordkeeping, school organisation, standard of instruction, time and discipline, teacher accommodation and audits of the sale of textbooks supplied by the Education Department. Background knowledge about individual school management and routines was provided by the local community to the Inspector. During the ‘payment by results’ system adopted in Victoria from 1864 – 1904, Inspectors also conducted regular examinations of pupils to assess the teacher’s eligibility for bonus pay. Inspection reports were prepared and forwarded to central officials, where the material was aggregated and presented in an annual report to parliament (See Original Papers Tabled in the Legislative Assembly, VPRS 3253). Edited summaries were made available for publishing in daily newspapers. In the new decentralised model after 1984, regional directors were to oversee the new accountability measures administered by the schools, and the principal assumed greater authority for decision-making in all aspects of school operations and in this sense, assumed many of the duties of former inspectors. Many of these decisions can be found recorded in the school’s annual report, or the minutes of the meetings of the school council.

本系列档案包含视导员登记册(Inspector's Registers)，记录了视导员到访沃克博克斯格利州立学校(Watchbox Gully State School，编号2375，档案编号VA 5601)期间，对校舍与校园场地、学生考试成绩以及现场观察到的教学情况所做的批注。1852年至1984年间，维多利亚州公立学校的视导员需就教师、学生与学校整体表现，以及教育部政策的落实情况提交报告。除咨询与评估职责外，学区视导员还需负责处理、调查并回应针对教师的投诉与相关诉求。集体称为“视导团(Inspectorate)”的视导员队伍，最早于1852年根据教育特别委员会的报告完成任命，并自1853年起直接向全国教育专员委员会负责。1862年起，视导员改由教育委员会(VA 713)任命，并在此后至1904年间向该委员会及其后续机构负责。1862年左右至19世纪末，视导员以《视导员登记册》为载体提交报告；19世纪末起，报告载体改为《视导员报告手册》，直至1984年视导制度终结。此后学校理事会与校长获得了更大的管理权责。《视导员报告手册》由教育部(VA 714)及其后续机构统一发放至所有学校。视导员需在手册中记录学校编号、到访日期与时间、评估意见，并签字确认。部分手册还包含教育部出具的官方收据，用于记录从校长处收缴的教科书募捐款项。公立学校的年度巡查与补充巡查期间，教育部视导员需编制上述报告。巡查内容与对应评估意见涵盖：到校学生人数与整体风貌、校园场地与校舍、家具及档案管理状况、学校组织架构、教学水准、作息与纪律情况、教师住宿条件，以及对教育部供应教科书的售卖情况进行审计。视导员可通过当地社区获取关于学校具体管理与日常运营的背景信息。1864年至1904年维多利亚州推行“绩效薪酬”制度期间，视导员还需定期对学生进行考核，以此评估教师是否符合奖金发放资格。巡查报告编制完成后需报送至中央行政部门，相关材料将被汇总并编入年度报告提交议会（详见《提交立法会的原始文件》VPRS 3253）。经编辑的报告摘要可刊登于日报。1984年后推行的新分权模式中，区域教育主管需监督学校落实新的问责机制，校长则获得了学校运营各方面的更大决策权限，从这一意义上来说，校长承担了原视导员的诸多职责。此类决策大多会记录于学校年度报告或学校理事会会议纪要中。