Government schools
More than 7,000 government schools have been opened and closed over the last 160 years of NSW education.
Whilst only 2,209 NSW government schools were operating in 2015, the many thousands of schools which have operated since 1848 form a significant part of the history of education in NSW.
This section gives a detailed history of public education in NSW and includes information on the:
- Early history of NSW education
- Introduction of the national system
- Public Schools Act 1866
- Public Instruction Act 1880
- Reform movement in secondary education
- NSW education system since World War II