The establishment of local Boards of Advice under the Education Act 1872 gave communities an important voice in the management of their schools. Although they had no authority to appoint or dismiss teachers, the Boards advised the Education Department on school accommodation, attendance, discipline and local concerns.
The minutes of the South Riding School Board meeting held in Avoca in August 1873 reveal the wide range of issues confronting the new Board. Among the routine business was an extraordinary appeal from assistant teacher Hannah Bowen, who believed she had been unfairly overlooked for promotion despite holding a higher teaching qualification than the colleague appointed above her. Her detailed letter offers a glimpse into the careers of women teachers and the complexities of staffing Victorian schools in the early years of free, compulsory education.
Avoca Mail, Tuesday 2 September 1873, page 2
THE SOUTH RIDING SCHOOL BOARD.
The usual monthly meeting of this Board was held on Friday evening last in the State School room, Avoca. All the members were present, viz. : — Messrs Powell, (Chairman), Kaye, Griffith, Matthews, and Buhlert (Correspondent).
The minutes of the previous meeting were read, and confirmed on the motion of Messrs Griffith and Kaye.
The following letters, received since the date of the last meeting, were then read by the Correspondent : —
1. From the Education Department, enclosing a copy of the form to be used in applying to the Department for books and other school requirements, and also furnishing information as to the conditions on which the same would be granted.
2. From the same, intimating that the Board's request for additional school accommodation had been referred to the District Inspector for report.
3. From the same, stating that lists of children not attending any schools had been prepared at the beginning of the year, and were now in the keeping of the police, and these were the only ones at pre sent available for the use of the Board.
4. From Miss Hannah Bowen, teacher in the Avoca State School No. 4, as follows : —
" To the Chairman, Correspondent, and Members of the Board of Advice for the School District of the South Riding of the Shire of Avoca.
" Gentlemen, — I respectfully entreat your earnest attention to the recent classification by the Hon. the Minister of Public Instruction of the assistant teachers in the Avoca State School, as follows: — Miss Bacon, 1st assistant ; Mr Ware, 2nd assistant ; Miss Bowen, 3rd assistant.
" The position of third assistant thus assigned to me is (independent of the great difference in salary) so injurious and lowering to my professional status as a first-class certificated trained teacher that, in justice to myself, I cannot permanently accept it, ;and have no other resource than to apply for removal to some other school.
"I am the less content to submit to the lower position because the Minister's decision in favour of Miss Bacon has evidently been influenced by mis-statements made to the Minister in her interest, the direct reverse of the actual truth.
" In the copy of the Minister's decision, furnished by the Education Department, the Minister says: — 'No doubt Miss Bowen has the higher classification ; but Miss Bacon is to be considered, in my opinion, as the actual occupant of the position of first assistant, as, he goes on further to say, it appears that she (Miss Bacon) was actually placed by the School Committee in the higher position, in which position she is when the new Act comes into operation.'
"Now, I emphatically deny the truth of this statement, and assert that whoever made this statement to the Minister grossly misrepresented the known facts of the case.
" These are the true facts : — On the 3rd August, 1870, on the recommendation of the then Inspector-General of Schools, Mr R. H. Budd, I was specially engaged to teach the 4th class (the next highest to the head teacher's classes), and also to superintend the older girls' needlework, etc. The duties of the school, on my engagement, were thus apportioned : The head teacher taught the 5th and 6th classes; I taught the 4th class and upper girls' needle work ; Miss Bacon, the second and third classes ; Miss Ritchie, the infants. As to the manner in which I discharged my duties, I beg to refer you to the District School Inspector, Mr Bolam, as a competent and impartial judge. I continued to teach the 4th class and to superintend the elder girls' needlework, etc., until June 3rd, 1872, when a vacancy occurred in the infant department through the marriage of Miss Ritchie. A male assistant was appointed in Miss Ritchie's stead, and it became necessary to make room for him. I then voluntarily gave up the teaching of the 4th class to the new male assistant, and took charge of the infants, still retaining, however, the superintendence of the elder girls in sewing, etc. This superintendence I continued to exercise until March, 1873, two months after the new Education Act came into force. Up to March, 1873, Miss Bacon's position in the school had remained unchanged. When two assistants were employed, Miss Bacon taught the 2nd class and Miss Ritchie the higher classes. When three assistants were employed in 1870, and I was engaged, Miss Bacon taught the 2nd and 3rd classes, and I taught the higher classes.
" In March 1873, owing to the great increase of scholars, it became necessary to remove the infants to another building at some distance from the school, and I then, for convenience sake, and with the head teacher's approval, gave up the superintendence of the elder girls' needlework to Miss Bacon.
" Reference to the records of the school must undoubtedly evidence the fact that Miss Bacon never, held the first position ; that, on the contrary, the first position was always given to the higher certificated teachers ; and that I virtually filled such higher position, having been specially engaged to teach the higher classes.
" Had the statement that has been made to the Minister by some one in Miss Bacon's interest been true, viz., that she 'was actually placed in the higher position by the Local Committee, in which position she is when the new Act came into operation,' the Minister's decision in her favor would have been a just decision, and it would have been a great injustice to have removed her from that position; but as the statement is the reverse of true, I can not but feel that a great injustice has been done to me and that a great wrong has been enacted by the person or persons who have been guilty of making these misrepresentations to the Minister,
" As I fear that injury may arise to my professional status and repute should these misrepresentations remain uncontradicted, I earnestly appeal to you for an investigation into the facts, with the view of showing that my recent classification as third assistant at the Avoca School was not owing to any want of professional capacity, or to any neglect of professional duty.
"I have the honor to be, gentlemen,
"Your most obedient servant,
" Hannah Bowen.
" Avoca, August 20th, 1873."
5. From John McDonald, Richard Baldwin, and William Sutter, residents of Mountain Hut, complaining of the inefficiency of the teacher of the Mountain Hut School, and also charging him with drunkenness, and with inattention to and illtreatment of the children. Also stating that the writers had withdrawn their children from the school on account of the irregularities named, and requesting the Board to hold an inquiry to inves tigate the charges brought against the teacher.
5. From John Porter, teacher of the Avoca Lead School, asking for increased accommodation at his school, and stating that with an average attendance of nearly 50 children he had only two desks of 12 feet each in length, and these of the worst possible description.
In reference to the first letter from the Education Department, it was decided that the head teachers of the various schools should be made acquainted with the information therein contained.
On Miss Bowen's letter coming on for consideration, Mr Buhlert asked Mr Griffith, as a member of the late school committee, if, at any of the committee's meetings, Miss Bacon had been formally placed in the position of first assistant.
Mr Griffith said he did not remember distinctly the proceedings of the committee, and would rather that Mr Buhlert obtained the information from the committee's minutes.
Mr Kaye thought as the appointments at present stood, a great injustice had been done to the holder of the first-class certificate.
Mr Buhlert said that although the Board could not interfere with or alter the appointments made by the Minister of Education, still he thought it quite came within the duties of the Board of Advice, when an appointment had been made threatening to injure the professional status of a teacher, to inquire into the grounds upon which such appointment was based. He had been informed on very good authority that the Inspector, while admitting excellent teaching qualifications on the part of both ladies, had reported in favor of Miss Bowen obtaining the appointment of first assistant on account of her higher-classification. This, of course, was correct, as it could not he expected that young people would spend their time and energy to obtain high class certificates if they received no consideration when obtained. Miss Bacon was first placed in the position, then, on efforts being made by Miss Bowen's friends, and after the report of the Inspector, the positions were reversed, only again to be realtered, and finally Mr Stephen placed Miss Bacon in the position of first assistant on the ground that when he assumed office he found her in that position, placed therein by the late local committee. Miss Bowen only protested that no such appointment had been made by the late committee, and that therefore the Minister had been induced to make the appointment from false statements. Miss Bowen now sought to protect her position and her professional standing with the Department and her fellow teachers from injury. In this, he thought the Board should give its assistance, for, it should not be forgotten that, in addi tion to the pecuniary loss which she would suffer, her classification as third assistant was calculated to seriously injure her prospects in applying at other schools for employment in the position she was entitled to.
The Chairman (Mr Powell), said he quite agreed with the remarks of Mr Buhlert, he believed that the change in the position of the teachers had, in the first place, been brought about on the removal of the younger children from the main school, and he certainly thought that the manner in which Miss Bowen had allowed herself to float out of her position very extraordinary.
Messrs Matthews and Kaye supported the previous speakers, stating their opinion that as Miss Bowen certainly held a first-class certificate she should not be placed under a teacher who held a second-class one.
Mr Matthews then moved " That the letter be held over until next meeting, and that the Correspondent be empowered to ask Mr Snell for the minutes and papers of the late committee bearing upon the subject." Seconded by Mr Kaye and carried.
On the motion of Mr Griffith, it was decided that a special meeting of the Board should be held at Mountain Hut on Friday next, the 5th inst., at three o'clock, for the purpose of investigating the charges brought against the teacher of that school.
Messrs Powell and Matthews brought up their reports of the schools they had been appointed to visit, viz., — those at Avoca Lead, Lamplough, and Lilicur, at all of which the work of education was said to be progressing, with large average attendance of children, and little or no accommodation.
Mr Buhlert submitted the notices he had obtained for the purpose of serving on the parents of children not attending the schools, and on the motion of Mr Powell, it was decided that these notices should be signed at meetings of the Board by the Correspondent, or in his absence, by the Chairman ; that a record should be kept of all parties on whom notices were served ; and that the effect of these notices should be duly reported to the Board by the members serving the same, the particulars of attendance being obtainable from the roll books of the schools.
Mr Matthews said he knew of fourteen children at Avoca Lead who did not attend any school, but he thought is was useless to enforce the compulsory clause, for in its present state the school could not well receive them even if they were sent.
It was finally decided that the compulsory clause of the Act should only be enforced in the localities provided with sufficient school accommodation.
The Board then adjourned until the last Friday in September.
A campaign for justice
Hannah Bowen’s appeal quickly became a matter of public debate. In October 1873 the Avoca Mail argued that the Minister of Public Instruction had been misled into believing that Miss Bacon already occupied the position of first assistant before the Education Act came into force. According to the newspaper, the school’s records showed that Miss Bowen had been specially selected by Inspector-General R. H. Budd in 1870 to teach the senior classes and had effectively served as first assistant for more than three years before being transferred to the infant department because of the school’s growing enrolment.
The Board of Advice investigated the matter and unanimously forwarded a detailed Statement of Facts to the Minister. Compiled by Correspondent William Buhlert from the school’s records, the report reconstructed the staffing history of the Avoca School from 1866 and concluded that the Local Committee had never appointed Miss Bacon as first assistant, nor had it ever proposed such an appointment. District Inspector D. I. Bolam also confirmed that Miss Bowen’s teaching had consistently been of the standard expected of a first-class trained teacher.
Community support continued to grow. In April 1874, 88 of the 90 parents approached signed a memorial to the Minister, representing 456 children, including 266 attending the Avoca State School. They praised Miss Bowen as an exceptionally capable teacher whose work had never attracted complaint and whose influence upon the children had been “most beneficial”. Rather than seeking Miss Bacon’s demotion, the parents asked that Miss Bowen also be granted the status and salary of a first assistant, arguing that it would be unjust to lose such a valued teacher.
The outcome
The campaign appears to have achieved a partial success. Hannah Bowen’s teacher’s record shows that in May 1874 the Education Department restored her salary to the level she had received under the former Board of Education. Inspector Bolam continued to praise her work, describing her as “a first-class teacher of exceptional ability”, “an excellent teacher”, and “a capital teacher of infants”.
Contrary to expectations in 1874, Miss Bowen remained at Avoca for almost three more years. During that time she continued to lead the infant department and also served as honorary organist and choir leader at the Wesleyan Church. In recognition of four years’ voluntary service, the congregation presented her with an inscribed gold watch and praised not only her musical leadership but also her ability, kindness and influence as a teacher.
Miss Bowen finally left Avoca in January 1877, not because of the earlier dispute but because declining enrolments required a reduction in the teaching staff. Reporting her transfer to Mount Egerton, the Avoca Mail described her as “one of the most efficient of the teachers” who had won “the affection and respect of the children and parents”. The newspaper also revealed that she had previously declined a more lucrative appointment at Hamilton rather than leave the Avoca community.
Although Hannah Bowen never regained the title of first assistant at Avoca, the documentary evidence suggests that she ultimately achieved what she had most sought to protect—her professional reputation. The Board of Advice, the overwhelming support of the parents, the repeated endorsements of Inspector Bolam, the restoration of her salary, and the esteem in which she was held by both the church and the wider community all testify to the regard in which she was held. Together they provide a remarkable case study of a nineteenth-century teacher defending her professional standing in the formative years of Victoria’s state education system.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug 1873 | Miss Bowen appeals to the Board of Advice |
| Oct 1873 | Avoca Mail supports her claim |
| Nov 1873 | Board forwards Statement of Facts to the Minister |
| Apr 1874 | Parents’ petition signed by 88 of 90 parents |
| May 1874 | Salary restored |
| Jan 1877 | Transfers to Mount Egerton |
Related posts
Wikitree:
- Hannah Bowen (1848-)
- Emily Bacon (1849-1894)
