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It is from a long and ardent wish that the minds of the
rising generation of this Colony may be duly thus impressed with such moral and
religious sentiment, that the following Plan has been adopted, & Rules
& regulations have been made, which I hope every Parent as well as others
concerned in bringing up children will see it to be their duty & interest
to promote.
Mutual
complaints having been often made between Parents & Masters, — of one
that his Children make little or no improvement, & the other that
Parents do not send their children regularly to school, it has been proposed
to and agreed by His Excellency the Govr that the different schoolmasters
shall have the use of the Church during the week & thus to unite in their
endeavours for the better Improvement of their Scholars. It is likewise my
Intention, so far as my time & health will permit to visit the School and
to watch the Improvement wh the Children make. But, aware that certain
articles are necessary to prevent any disputes or differences arising &
that the school may be carried on with any success, such articles have been
drawn up & laid before the Govr, it is to be considered that those, &
those only, who submit or agree to these Articles or Rules here laid down
& are intended to reap the Benefit which it is hoped will be derived from
the school.
RULES OR ARTICLES TO BE OBSERVED RESPECTING THE SCHOOL
AT SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, 1798
- That this School is to be considered for the
Benefit of Children of all Descriptions of Persons, whether Soldiers,
Settlers or Convicts, provided they comply with the Rules here laid
down.
- Any Parent, &c, as intends to send a Child to
School is to give a week's notice to the Revd. Mr. Johnson, that the
Child's name, together with that of its parents may be registered in a
book, which Mr. Johnson will keep for that purpose.
- No child is to be admitted, till he or she shall
arrive at the age of three years.
- The School hours to be from nine to twelve
o'clock in the morning & from two to five in the afternoon. No
School on Saturday afternoon.
- Every fresh scholar to pay sixpence at first entrance.
— Such children as are learning to read, to pay four pence pr week;
those learning to write, or arithmetic, six pence.
- Such payments to be made once a Quarter, & if
paid in articles, then to be charged reasonable.
- Such Parents or others, as refuse, or with hold
such payments, (except those included in the next article) to be
deprived of ye privilege of sending their children to this School.
- Persons incapable of paying for their children
will not be required to do so, — Who those persons are will be
principally left to the Judgment & Humanity of the Schoolmasters.
- Any child or children guilty of swearing, lying,
stealing, or any other idle or wicked Habit at School are to undergo
such Punishment as the Masters (first acquainting Mr. Johnson with the
Crime & having his concurrence) shall think proper to inflict; if
after frequent correction no reformation be effected, that child to be
turned from school.
- All children belonging to
this School, are regularly to attend public worship on the Sabbath Day,
(except upon necessary and proper occasions they may be prevented) and
to appear clean and decent; the different Masters (two at least)
likewise to attend, to mark those that are absent, & to report the
same to Mr. Johnson on Monday morning.
- The children to be
catechized, & to sing one of Dr. Watt's Hymns for Children every
Sunday forenoon, & to be catechized at Church at such times as Mr.
Johnson or the clergyman officiating may find convenient. Such parents
as neglect or refuse to send their children to be thus instructed, to
be deprived of the Privilege of the School.
- A Form of Prayer to be
read by one of the School Masters, & one of Dr. Watt's Hymns to be
sung morning & evening. And it is strongly recommended that Parents
will send their Children early to School to pray, as they are able, for
a Blessing to attend the Instruction given them.
- 13.The Church Bell to ring a quarter before Nine
in the morning, as a warning for the Children to prepare immediately to
School.
- Those Parents as make a practice of keeping their
Children for several days together from School upon frivolous occasions,
(by wh means their children make little or no improvement in their
learning, whilst the blame is laid upon the Master) are first to be
warned of such neglect, & if they still persist, they are to be
deprived of the Benefit of sending their Child to this School.
- As books of learning are at present very scarce
in the Colony, the children are to give up their Books to the Master
every noon & evening, except on Saturday, when they may be allowed
to take them Home, that the Parents on Sundays, during the Interval of
Divine Service may hear their Lessons, & thereby see the Improvement
they have made during the week. But such children as either tear, lose,
or do not bring back their Books, must not expect other Books to be
given them.
- The pecuniary Benefits derived from teaching
school from the time these Rules & Regulations were made to be
divided equally amongst the Schoolmasters appointed for that purpose, —
and
- The persons thus appointed are William
Richardson, Isaac Nelson, and Thomas Tabor, who are to receive &
enjoy the above mentioned Benefits, untill some good & sufficient
Reason be given for their removal — or, shd more assistance be
required, as the scholars increase in numbers, in that case, observation
to be had of the 16th article.
- These different Rules may be hereafter allowed to
be altered, enlarged or curtailed as may be deemed necessary - to be
read publicly in Church once a quarter; & a copy of them to be kept
in the Vestry Room, that no Person may be able to plead ignorance of
their Contents or Meaning.
Sydney, New S. Wales,
August 29th, 1798.
RICHARD JOHNSON
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