Collection 1621 - Wagga Wagga Superior Public School

Wagga Wagga Public School, in the County of Wynyard, opened in 1861. It became a Superior Public School in April 1881 and then a District School in January 1906. Its status was changed back to a Public School in January 1912, then to a District Rural School in January 1923. The school became a Public School once again in January 1931. (1)
The basic elementary schools in the New South Wales education system were known as National Schools from 1848 to 1866 and as Public Schools since 1867. Originally the attendance of thirty children was required for the establishment of a school, but this was reduced to twenty-five in 1867 and twenty in 1880; in 1957, when Provisional Schools were converted to Public Schools, the minimum figure was reduced to nine. (2)
Superior Public Schools were public schools that were officially recognised as providing both primary and post-primary education from 1881 until 1931. (3)
District Schools first emerged in 1905 as schools containing both primary and secondary departments. They were established in rural areas as adjuncts of Superior Public Schools. By 1914, they had developed into schools offering academic courses like those taught in Intermediate High Schools and High Schools. (4)
District Rural Schools were schools combining primary and secondary departments which emerged in 1923. In general, they provided a three year post-primary course that included agriculture, applied farm mechanics and rural economics for boys, and home science and horticulture for girls. Later, other types of subjects were also taught. (5)
Endnotes:
(1) Government Schools of New South Wales 1848 – 2003; pg. 133.
(2) Government Schools of New South Wales 1848 – 2003; pg. 18.
(3) Government Schools of New South Wales 1848 – 2003; pg. 18.
(4) Government Schools of New South Wales 1848 – 2003; pg. 15-16.
(5) Government Schools of New South Wales 1848 – 2003; pg. 16.