13 FEBRUARY 1942, Page 12

Sue,—May the headmaster of a London Day School, 6o of

whose boys have lived in a school-boarding house for nearly two years, be allowed to re-echo Mr. M. L. Jacks' strong plea for the regular establishment of boarding departments in connexion with secondary day schools?

Our experience during the past two years is convincing evidence of the beneficial results on corporate spirit and community life; but it has proved that 16 is too late an age for the transfer from the day to the boarding department. The boy of 16 is nearly always too old to adapt himself to the claims of life in such a community, and may be already determined to get rather than to give. On the other hand, boys of 13 or 14 gain more and are more ready to assimilate " the ideals of disinterested public service." They should make far better leaders than the boy who only starts his community life at t6, With this provision Mr. Jacks' proposal seems to be an admirable one, and it is to be hoped that war-time experiments on similar lines will be perpetuated in the national system of education after the war.—Yours

faithfully, J. E. TAYLOR. Sir Walter St. johns School, Battersea, at Lockites, Godalming.