CHRIST'S HOSPITAL.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] Sin,—I see from the letter of "Emeritus," in the Spectator of August 14th, that the Governors of Christ's Hospital are about to appoint another Warden, who is to have authority " out of school " independently of the head master. The welfare of this splendid institution is a matter of national concern ; and those who have professional knowledge of schools ought to speak out before it is too late, and urge the Governors to take further advice before they act.
I am myself an old public-school master, and a present governor of a public school, and I have always found entire agreement among masters and governors alike, that for the well- being of the school it is absolutely essential that the head master should be supreme in everything relating to discipline. In the governing body to which I belong, we should not dream of taking any measure that might affect the discipline of our school without first consulting the head master and obtaining his entire approval. If we thought it our duty to disregard his opinion on such a point, we should also think (as we most certainly do not) that we had a head master unworthy of his position.
Have the Governors of Christ's Hospital consulted their head master P Perhaps it may seem to them that they could not consult the head master on this point without some danger to their present relations with him. If so, let me remind them that they now have the advice of one of our best authorities on school matters, who happens to have more knowledge of this particular question than any one else can have. The bead master of Marlborough, Mr. G. C. Bell, is an old " Blue," and before he left it for Marlborough, he was for some years head master of his old school. We are bound to assume that the Governors of Christ's Hospital make the welfare of the boys their first consideration ; and in this case they cannot neglect to ascertain the opinion of such a man as Mr. Bell, and to be guided by it in a matter where he is not likely to be mistaken. —I am, Sir, &c., Sedbergh, Vicarage, August Ha. R. H. QUICK.
P.S.—I should say that, though a friend of Mr. Bell's, I write without any communication with him, and I do not happen to have heard his opinion on the Warden question.
Previous page
