School Boards of Advice
The School Board of Advice was a term used in South Australia and Victoria for an elected body attached to a local school whose remit was to handle the business aspects of the school. The scheme was initiated by an Act of Parliament in Victoria in 1873.
South Australia
The early 1970s was an historic time in the history of education in South Australia
Rather than the feared class distinctions arising between students in the two systems, a substantial drift of students from private schools to "free" (State) schools was seen.[1]
Great quantities of educational books were imported from England for use in the schools, optionally for purchase by students, in which case they could be taken home, otherwise remained school property, for general use.[1]
Victoria
For the purpose of Education, the colony of Victoria was divided into school districts, congruent with local government areas, and one School Board of Advice established for each district, so in some districts the board was responsible for two or three schools. Every three years a new board, of five to seven members, was elected by ratepayers from a panel of nominees of whom no qualification, residential or otherwise, was demanded. Duties of the board were to include:[2]
- Determination of what use should be made of buildings outside of school hours
- Suspension of a teacher for misconduct and notification of such decisions to the Minister
- Report on condition of school buildings and request furniture and other necessities
- Visit the school from time to time, and report on attendance and give an opinion on management and general condition of the school
- Encourage regular attendance of children and report on recalcitrant families
- To recommend school fees and nominate outstanding students for scholarship purposes
The district of Sandhurst, for which there was no shortage of nominees to the Board,[3] was chosen as the model for proving the principle.
References
- ^ a b "Chronicle of the Month". The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil. Vol. I, , no. 2. Victoria, Australia. 17 May 1873. p. 18. Retrieved 10 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ "School Boards of Advice". Bendigo Advertiser. Vol. XX, no. 5600. Victoria, Australia. 19 May 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Eaglehawk Board of Advice". Bendigo Advertiser. Vol. XX, no. 5601. Victoria, Australia. 20 May 1873. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.