Australian Journal of Teacher Education Volume 28 Issue 1 Article 4 5-2003 Sowing the Seeds of a Pre-Service Model of Teacher Education in the Early Twentieth Century. Lynne Trethewey University of South Australia Kay Whitehead Flinders University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte Part of the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Trethewey, L., & Whitehead, K. (2003). Sowing the Seeds of a Pre-Service Model of Teacher Education in the Early Twentieth Century.. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 28(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2003v28n1.4 This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol28/iss1/4 Australian Journal of Teacher Education SOWING THE SEEDS OF A PRE-SERVICE MODEL OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY Lynne Trethewey and Kay Whitehead University of South Australia and Flinders University ABSTRACT Margaret Emily Hodge (1858-1938) and Harriet Christina Newcomb (1854-1942) Our article seeks to describe, analyse and were wealthy middle class Londoners whose assess the contribution of Margaret Hodge fifty-year friendship began in the 1880s at and Harriet C. Newcomb to the training of Maria Grey Training College for Women, kindergarten, primary and secondary school London, where both commenced as students teachers in New South Wales at a time of and later returned as lecturers. Having each wide-ranging educational reform. These two graduated with a Cambridge Teacher’s English teacher educators were recruited to Certificate, in the interim Margaret taught at Sydney in 1897 for the purpose of the College’s first practising school establishing a new training scheme (Bishopsgate School for Girls) and Harriet at equivalent to the teaching diploma courses Exeter High School. In following years the offered at the University of Cambridge. In two women travelled frequently to Europe to their subsequent work for the Training Board study educational trends. For example, of the NSW Teachers’ Association, “inspired by Matthew Arnold with an intense reconfiguring training programs for teachers admiration for the German educational in private schools, as lecturers and examiners system”, in 1892-3 Margaret spent six in the history and theory of education, and in months visiting schools in the Rhine district, founding Shirley School and Kindergarten to Hanover, Prussia and Saxony (Hodge, 1898, practically demonstrate their progressive p. 1). Harriet spent an equivalent period in educational philosophy, the pair were at the France during 1895 in order to “compare forefront of moves to abolish the outmoded standards of teaching and methods of pupil teacher system and institute a pre- training with our own”; also “the service model of teacher education. organisation of Secondary Education, and Concurrently, they agitated for change by French criticism upon it” as might inform speaking authoritatively in various forums on English opinions on the subject (Newcomb, the broader issue of improved schooling 1899, p. 2). Notably, whilst in Paris for three standards through the systematic training of months, Harriet stayed with Madame R-El teachers in the science and art of education. Chalamet - a leading educational reformer. On the eve of their return to London after Such travel enabled Margaret and Harriet to eleven years in Sydney, Margaret and Harriet broaden their educational ideas and aptly concluded that if their record was one experience, to the extent that they became of “the petty done, the vast undone”, and recognised as experts in their fields. their appeal for the technical training of Moreover, their positions as lecturers at teachers so they might constitute themselves Maria Grey afforded them opportunities to into a professional class “premature”, they network with senior educationalists, had “at least sown the seed”. including Sir J. G. Fitch, HM Senior Inspector for Schools, Sir H. Evelyn Oakeley, HM Chief Inspector of Training Colleges, Sophie Bryant, headmistress of the Hurlstone Training College). Louisa and prestigious North London Collegiate School Maybanke were also prominent in Sydney for Girls, and Madame Michaelis of the feminist organisations that Margaret and Froebel Institute in Kensington, pioneer of Harriet joined and through which they the Kindergarten system in England. actively pursued improvements in all aspects of women’s condition - not least the Margaret and Harriet thus had the requisite professional training of women teachers. For cultural capital to fit relatively easily into the example, Margaret introduced this subject at social-cum-intellectual circles that led public the 1899 annual meeting of the National debate on educational matters in Sydney. Council of Women - NSW (The Dawn. They additionally possessed the credentials, 13(2), June 1899, p. 5). experience and expertise which enabled them to speak with intellectual and practical Professor Scott had been pressing for the authority. Ultimately, though, it was through introduction of teacher training at Sydney Margaret’s family connections that she and University since the 1880s and Fletcher Harriet were recruited to Australia. In 1896 (1992) suggests that much of the direction on Professor Walter Scott of Sydney University, teacher education adopted by the NSW whose brother George (Tutor and Fellow, Teachers’ Association, formed in 1891, was Merton College, Oxford) was married to probably due to his suggestion and guidance Margaret’s sister Florence, went to England (p. 6). While numerous Association members with his wife. There he saw a good deal of expressed reservations about the importance the Hodges and Harriet, “with whose of professional training for teachers, other revolutionary ideas he was much impressed” influential professors and private school (Guiterman, 1949, p. 6). He also visited principals on the Council, but especially Maria Grey Training College and approved Louisa Macdonald, agreed with Scott’s view the system, saying that there was a distinct (as cited in Beaumont & Hole, 1996) that “it opening in New South Wales for the training was not enough that teachers should know of teachers on such lines. With his how to manage a class; we ought to expect encouragement, Margaret and Harriet and require them also to be highly trained emigrated to Sydney to direct the expansion men and women” (p. 115). In 1894, and consolidation of training schemes responding to an appeal by Kindergarten conducted under the auspices of the NSW reformers within the ladies’ colleges, Scott Teachers’ Association, of which Professor called a meeting at the University to consider Scott was a founding member and office the need for examination and accreditation of bearer (Vice-President, 1893; President, kindergarten teachers. A significant outcome 1894-5). of this meeting was the formation of a Training Board, comprising selected The pair were given temporary executive members of the Teachers’ accommodation by the Scotts on arriving in Association, which subsequently issued a 1897 and they were soon inducted into the syllabus and undertook to arrange lectures professor’s educational networks. Leading and appoint examiners for the award of a educationalists with whom Margaret and Diploma in Kindergarten and Primary Harriet came to work most closely at Sydney Grades. Details of the course, based on University included Women’s College Hamburg-trained Fraulein Scheer’s ‘Scheme principal Louisa Macdonald, M.A., Professor for the Training of Kindergarten teachers’, Mungo MacCallum, Professor and Mrs were published in the Association’s journal Maybanke Anderson (formerly Mrs (Australian Teacher. 1(7), May 1894, pp. 5- Wolsteholme, proprietor of Maybanke 6; 1(11), April 1895, pp. 6-7). Five School), and Professor and Mrs David (neé kindergarten teachers were admitted to the Cara Mallett, foundation principal of Australian Journal of Teacher Education training scheme in 1895, three of whom training of teachers for Kindergarten work: graduated. finding suitable lecturers capable of providing the necessary theory and with Scott also strongly supported Cara David’s experience of putting the theory into practice ‘Proposed Scheme for the Training and (p. 13). Margaret and Harriet were to Certificating of Elementary and Secondary admirably fill this void. Meanwhile, the main Teachers’, elaborated upon under the method of training teachers for state schools heading ‘Practical Training of Teachers in remained the English-based pupil teacher Existing Schools’ (Australian Teacher. 1(8), system, whereby 13-16 year-olds entered a September 1894, pp. 7-8; 1(12), May 1895, form of apprenticeship, four years in length, p.7). However, it took several more years of and progressed to the grade of assistant discussion and planning before Board teacher via a series of examinations. Only an training was extended to primary and elite few, those with the highest passes in the secondary teachers in a bid to raise their Class I examination, gained admission to the occupational status and improve educational two state training institutions established standards in private schools. Importantly, the under the 1880 Education Act: Fort Street training schemes stressed both theory and Training School for men and Hurlstone practice as essential elements and an in- (residential) Training School, Ashfield, for service model was adopted: students women (Barcan, 1980). enrolling in the four proposed Diploma courses (Kindergarten, Primary, Lower In October 1897 Margaret and Harriet