Community Relations of the Nelson School Society

A distinctive feature of the Society was its catholicity in that it interested itself in the elementary education of all members of the community. Under the inspiration of Campbell it sought to break down barriers. Although at first it directed its efforts primarily towards the children of the working class, by 1848 it showed that it was thinking in terms of the education of all children in the community. Even when some denominations insisted on setting up their own schools, the Society sought to associate these schools with its activities. Thus the Society in 1848 invited the Anglican schools to join in the general assembly and examination that it organised at the end of the year. By 1850 this annual assembly had become a festive public occasion in which children and parents of almost all denominations participated. By 1851 the Rev. H. F. Butt (Anglican), the Rev. S. Ironside (Wesleyan), the Rev. T. D. Nicholson (Presbyterian) and the pastor from the German settlement of Ranzau near Moutere had been elected to the committee of the Society. Only the Catholics and the Seventh Day Adventists remained apart. In 1852 the Committee turned down Father Garin's application to use the Society's Sunday School premises at Richmond for reading prayers and a similar request by the Seventh Day Adventists was declined in 1854. Later these resolutions were rescinded.

Apart from its interest in providing libraries that could be used by adults as well as by school children (e.g. at Hope) the Society displayed its community-orientated tendencies by sponsoring occasional series of public lectures.

A feature of the Society's work from the very beginning was its involvement of people of all classes in its work. From the early days of the United Christians supporters of the Society co-operated in the teaching at Sunday Schools. At first well-known lay persons such as Mr Songer, a former page 22servant, at Stoke, were appointed as superintendents of local schools. Later, lay committees were appointed for the management of each school. The task of visiting the Nelson school and the branch schools in the countryside was carried out by small delegations of members of the Society's central committee. The examinations of pupils held at the annual assemblies from 1846 onwards were conducted by some of the better educated members of the community such as professional men or clergymen. Parents were encouraged to take part in the activities of the Society. Fathers of children who had attended school for twelve months were deemed members of the Society payment of the annual subscription of 10 shillings.

Although the financial support and general co-operation of middle-class landowners and professional men who were prominent in its central committee were important to the Society, it retained its early connection with the working class throughout the period 1844–56. McArtney, the tinsmith, was 3 diligent committee member throughout; Wm. Gardner, the rope-maker and he were still on the committee in 1856. Samuel Kealley, the baker, left Nelson for Adelaide where he prospered and sent generous donations to the Society from that city. J. P. Robinson returned to the committee in the early fifties. Almost ail the teachers, moreover, came from the working class. The Society could in fact fairly claim to have remained broadly representative of the whole Nelson community.