William Wilkins

William Wilkins (16 January 1827 – 10 November 1892) was an English educationist, civil servant and inspector of schools in the Colony of New South Wales. He was the first headmaster of Fort Street Model School and for some years the Secretary of the Board of National Education. England William Wilkins was born on 16 January 1827 in the Workhouse Infirmary, Parish of St Mary, Lambeth, London. He was a son of William Wilkins (died 1830), the parish beadle, by his wife Sarah, née Noice. He was educated for the tutorial profession in the Battersea Training College for teachers, which, under the direction of Dr. Kay, afterwards known as Sir James Kay Shuttleworth, and his successor, attained a high character for efficiency. After leaving the Training College, Wilkins was employed for some years in reformatory industrial, and day schools. While thus engaged, certain regulations of the Committee of Council, commonly described as the "Minutes of 1846", were promulgated. In pursuance of these "minutes" he was summoned with others to the first Government examination of teachers, held under the superintendence of Inspectors Maseley and Thurtell, and his name subsequently appeared amongst the four that took highest place. New South Wales Having in 1849 been recommended by his medical adviser to remove to a warmer and dryer climate, Wilkins chose Now South Wales in preference to several other countries in which situations were offered. He came to the colony early in 1851, having been appointed by Earl Grey to be headmaster of the Model Training School. That nobleman was in great disfavour with the colonists at the time—a circumstance which Wilkins found to be by no means to his advantage. When Wilkins entered upon the charge of the Model School, in January 1851, there were but two or three trained teachers in the colony. The office of teacher itself was held in little respect and the pay attached to it was but £40 a year. The first step towards improvements in these respects was the introduction of the pupil teacher system, by means of which the colony was afterwards provided with great numbers of efficient teachers some of whom rose to high rank in that profession. In March 1874, Wilkins was sent by the National Board (of Education) on a special visit to the schools in the Hunter River district. Two important changes resulted from that visit.