[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sin,—One cannot fail to recognize the force of all that Dr. Norwood says in the above article ; it is, of course, difficult to bridge the gulf between the public school and our national system of education—but is it really so difficult as Dr. Norwood seems to imply ?
Quite a number of the public schools have their own pre- paratory departments, and when this is so, the difficulty of the age of transfer does not arise. It is easy to devise means for the transfer at the age of eleven of boys from the State- aided or State-controlled schools to the junior departments of the public schools.
Moreover, many of the public schools already have their day-boys, organized as a " Day-Boys' House." When this exists, it should not be difficult to admit additional free scholars, remitting the tuition fee only. Such boys should be able to take their full share in the games, societies, &c.—in fact, in almost all the full communal life of the school. It would appear, therefore, that where there' is (a) a junior de- partment and (b) a Day-Boys' House, the transfer of the bay from the State school should not be too difficult.
I can speak with intimate knowledge of one large public school where this has been carried through with great success. The two types of boy mix in the easiest possible way ; there has not been any sign of Condescension on the one side or of awkwardness on the other ; they have been just one happy family. Last year-the captain of the school, who was also captain of cricket, had come from a small elementary school ; he is now at Oxford reading for-a degree in history and playing at both soccer and rugger for his college. Last year the day- boys' senior prefect also came from a similar school, and is now at the University reading for a degree in classics. Another boy with the same history is reading for a science degree at one of the younger universities, and he had been one of the school's best prefects. Another. similar boy was recently " victor ludorum " and one of the most Popular boys in the school.
We are filled with gratitude as we see the two types blending so happily in the school in question. It is felt that this is a real contribution to the social and educatio- nal problems of
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