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The Elementary Agricultural Education Branch was established in 1915 to promote nature study and rural science in the public schools of British Columbia. The director of the branch was John Wesley Gibson (1874-1954) who, with a team of district supervisors, established one of the most successful school gardening programmes in the country. As well as developing school gardens, the branch was also involved with patriotic fund raising projects, home garden clubs and agricultural fairs.

The series consists of records created by the branch between 1916 and 1929. It includes correspondence and reports from District Supervisors of Agricultural Instruction, submitted to Superintendent of Elementary Agricultural Education, J.W. Gibson. Included with the correspondence are the supervisors' monthly reports, giving the names of schools inspected, comments on school projects and details of events pertaining to horticulture and agriculture. It also includes memoranda and letters from applicants seeking positions as instructors.

The correspondence was filed alphabetically under the names of the school district supervisors. During the period 1916 1929 the branch supervisors and districts were as follows:

During the period 1916-1929 the branch supervisors and districts were as follows:
W.J. Austin, Kelowna/Vernon
J.E. Britton, Armstrong/Kelowna
W.M. Fleming, Duncan and Cowichan
W.H. Grant, Salmon Arm
H.A. Hallwright, Victoria and Saanich
S.H. Hopkins, Courtenay-Comox
T.H. Jones, Armstrong and Enderby, Penticton
A.M. McDermott, New Westminster
J.B. Munro, Armstrong/Enderby
J.C. Ready, Chilliwack
V.B. Robinson, Vernon/Penticton/Summerland
J.M. Shales, Murrayville [Langley area]
E.L. Small, Cloverdale [Langley and Surrey]
G.V. Van Talisk, Penticton
F.J. Welland, Cloverdale

Researchers should also consult the branch reports which were published annually in the Public Schools Reports.

This series is comprised of School District Information forms distributed by the Teachers Bureau to rural school teachers in 1923 and 1928 to be filled out and returned to the Bureau. The forms are questionnaires for the purpose of obtaining information about teachers’ living conditions in rural school districts. There is no record of similar forms being sent in other years.

Not every rural and assisted school is represented in this collection. Of the 684 rural and assisted schools in BC for the year ending June 1923, there are forms for 651. For the year ending June 1928, there are forms for 711 of the 728 schools.

School Trustees' minute book and accounts.

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of Public Works between 1893 and 1926. The files contain contracts, specifications, and plans of Public Works buildings such as schools, gaols, court houses and hospitals. They are arranged chronologically.

The series consists of specifications for Public Works buildings, including occasional plans and contract forms, created between 1872 and 1924 by the Dept. of Public Works.

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of Education between 1915 and 1924. The records include teachers' "Reports on Instruction Given in Rural Science," submitted to J.W. Gibson, director of Elementary Agricultural Instruction. The reports show name of teacher, teacher's length of service at the school, qualifications in rural science, and previous experience with school gardening. The reports also contain information re: syllabuses, textbooks, equipment, etc., as well as monthly calendars of gardening activities of various schools.

The reports are filed alphabetically by teachers' names. Researchers should consult the Public Schools Reports for these years to determine the names of teachers at particular schools.

This series consists of correspondence of the Organizer of Technical Education. This officer dealt with night school, summer school, domestic science and manual training, in addition to technical education. The letterbooks of correspondence outward include the Director of Elementary Agricultural Education.

This series contains records from the Provincial Normal School (Vancouver). The records include a letterbook, consisting of correspondence from William Burns, principal, to Alexander Robinson, Superintendent of Education.

This series consists of the records of the Commission Regarding the Board of School Trustees of the City of Nelson, 1913. Commission records consist of minutes of proceedings and original signed report.

This series consists of the report of the Commission on South Park School Drawing Books, 1905-1906.

This series contains correspondence and copies of memoranda concerning construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, ferries, wharves, railways, and schools. The records also include some drawings and plans.

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of Lands and Works between 1872 and 1896 regarding public works. The records contains contracts, specifications, correspondence, and some plans connected with the construction and repair of schools, government buildings, and smaller works.

A limited number of files contained plans and a few files contained plans only. These files are indicated in the finding aid by * and ** respectively. All plans have been removed from the files and accessioned in the Map Collection as M856047. Appendix 1 of the finding aid lists the plans.

The file list provides the file number assigned by Public Works, the original contract number in square brackets, the name of the building or work, and the date of the contract.

Consists of correspondence inward to Superintendents John Jessop (1872-1878), C.C. McKenzie (1878-1884), and S.D. Pope (1884-1899). Types of records include petitions for school buildings, applications for teaching posts, minutes of local school boards, school trustees' reports, etc. This series may be used in conjunction with GR-0449 (Superintendent of Education, Indexes to Correspondence Inward, 1881-1915) and GR-0450 (Superintendent of Education, Correspondence Outward, 1872-1919).

Researchers should also be aware of the Correspondence Inward files of the Provincial Secretary, 1871-1892 (GR-0526). Since the Provincial Secretary was responsible for the Education Department, these files contain many records pertaining to teachers, schools, and education matters in general. Access to documents in GR-0526 is through GR-0524 (Provincial Secretary. Registers and indexes of letters inward, 1872-1924). Documents pertaining to education, etc. are indexed under the headings "SCHOOLS", and "EDUCATION, SUPERINTENDENT".

This series includes a suggested draft for the 1872 Public Schools Act by Thomas Nicholson (1871), correspondence regarding the school at Burton's Prairie (1882) and correspondence regarding a request for an additional teacher at New Westminster High School (1889).

Two letters inward with enclosures from Vancouver School Board regarding land acquisition and school construction. Includes two maps.

This series contains a bound volume of minutes of meetings of the Victoria School Board, along with receipts of payments made by the Board. The series includes minutes of meetings of school board electors (showing votes cast by individual electors for particular candidates) and contains copies of provincial government circulars relating to education and copies of schools-related bills, by-laws, rules and regulations.

This series contains records of the provincial Board of Education. The records include a minute book of Board meetings (1872-1878), a register of teachers' certificates (1872-1883), correspondence regarding Victoria School Reserve (1875-1876) and diaries of provincial school inspectors John Jessop, R.M. Clemitson, and C.C. McKenzie. McKenzie diary includes list of students [giving names, ages, classes and grades] in provincial schools from 1880-1881. Map of Victoria School Reserve, 1876, transferred to BC Archives Map Division.

Correspondence from J.W. McKay, chairman of Yale School Board, concerning boundaries of Yale School District, school taxes, and pupils' fees as per Common School Ordinance, 1869. Draft replies to McKay's queries are included.

Register of Victoria District School, 1861-1865, and school account book, 1862-1864. The Register shows the names and attendance of students at the school. "Accounts" include supply list of food staples, etc., showing prices and customs duties, along with student fee payments. As well, the volume contains addresses and a "Story of Moses" by schoolmaster W. H. Burr. Also included are newspaper cuttings re: the early history of Victoria schools and an annotated list of pupils attending the Victoria District School, ca. 1862. The list was prepared for the Provincial Archivist, John Forsyth, by Edgar Fawcett in April 1922.

Register of Attendance, Nanaimo "Colonial" School, 1862-1866. The Register, showing the names of pupils attending the second public school in British Columbia, was maintained by Cornelius Bryant, schoolmaster from 1856-1870. Also included, on a loose sheet, is a detailed schedule showing time devoted to various subjects on a typical school day.

Draft resolution of the Legislative Assembly, urging the establishment of a nonsectarian public school system for the Colony of Vancouver Island; also a petition from a committee of citizens of Victoria, advocating a central location for the city's common school. These documents are undated, but likely relate to the introduction of the colony's Common School Act of 1865.