At a conference on secondary education opened at Oxford on
Tuesday, an interesting letter was read, addressed by the late Master of Balliol to Professor Jebb, "I think," said he, "that I should be disposed to speak :—(1.) Against grading schools. They must vary with the circumstances of the locality and of the pupils. (2.) I should suggest abiturienten examine- Cons giving the right of admission to the Universities. (3.) I suould allow all students who had passed this examination to be candidates without residence and without restriction of, age for any University examination with or without honours, or for a part of any University examination. Does this take away your breath ? " A second letter seems to show that, though those who had passed the proposed examinations would, under the Master's plan, be able to compete for University prizes, the full Degrees would still require residence. That is a bold scheme, and eminently characteristic of the Master. We believe strongly in the value of residence ; but it is, we think, arguable that the plan stated above would not decrease but increase the number of residents, while at the same time popularising the Universities,
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