A milestone in education

The milestone anniversary shapes the theme of this year’s special week, which the NSW Department of Education said focuses on “learning from our past, celebrating our achievements and embracing the future with confidence”.

Founded in 1848, the Board of National Education was formed and tasked with establishing a public education system in NSW.

Prior to 1848, schools operated under a denominational system and were the responsibility of churches.

The first public school, Kempsey National School, opened that year and by 1851 more than 37 public schools were in operation in NSW.

In the last 175 years, more than 7000 government schools have opened and closed.

Today, there are more than 2,200 public schools are operating across the state.

During the 1840s, a report highlighted how the denominational system had failed to instruct half of the colony’s children who were of school age, and recommended the introduction of the Irish National System.

The severe depression in the 1840s had also reduced the church’s ability to maintain existing schools, making it almost impossible to establish new ones in the rapidly expanding country areas.

As such, the Anglican Church withdrew its opposition to the Irish National System on the condition that government subsidies for denominational schools were continued.

Consequently, in September 1847 the Legislative Council put aside £2,000 for the establishment of schools similar to the National Schools in Ireland.

In January 1848 the Board of National Education undertook the task of creating the necessary government schools and establishing a public education system, whilst the simultaneously appointed Denominational School Board was to handle government subsidies to church schools.

To learn more about the schools in our region, and activities they may have planned for Education Week, flick through this Education Week 2023 feature.