Page 10 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

5.

E DUC AT I 0 N

The Denominational School Board consisted of one representative
from each of the Churches, Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian
and Wesleyan. The Board distributed the sums voted . for the maintenance of
Denominational Schools. From this, it can be seen, the management of these
schools was practically left to the heads of the denominations mentioned.

The National Schools Board was given finance and power to build
schools, equip them, and pay teachers ; This 'System! still called for a
considerable amount of local initiative and support. The local community
was expected to contribute at least one third of the capital cost of
establishing and maintaining the school; to offset . part of the teacher's
salary by the payment of school fees; and to form a committee to manage
the scho~l's affairs.

Constant and bitter rivalry between the two systems often found
each competing for the same pupils. The strong political and religious
differences starved both for funds, so that the quality of education paid
the price of sectarian folly. The following is the 1850 Report on
Education:-

NATIONAL SCHOOLS = 43 in operation and 52 in course

of formation.
Pupils enrolled - 2, 725
Expenditure £7,300.0.0

DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS = Total 185 schools

Pupils enrolled - 11,581

Expenditure from State funds

only £8,350.0.0

The "Public Schools Act of 1866" introduced by Henry Parkes . was
an effort to rationalise Government spending on education, and to provide
educational facilities for the seemingly endless number of communities,
which were . springing up all over the colony, following the revolutionary