SIR, —By making no reference to some of the changes of
outlook that are taking place in the public schools today Mr Bruce Lockhart's article of September 23 may possibly have given an incomplete picture of them. And certainly when it comes to the difficult question of their intake, something more fundamental would seem to be needed than Mr Lockhart suggests. `Educational grants' are proposed, but no indication is given as to where they are to come from. Over the years successive governments and local authori- ties have shown a singular lack of enthusiasm to contribute financially towards the independent sector —who are their 'competitors' after all. And it is quite certain that the schools themselves cannot afford such support. This need not be the impasse. however, that we have so often been led to believe.
In recent years a number of independent schools have been enabled to bring their inadequate facilities for science up to date with the generous assistance of an industrial fund for scientific advancement. Indus- try has continued to show interest in various other ways in the welfare of these schools. Is it not the time now for some enterprising industrialists to initiate some form of educational trust that would make it possible for sons of their employees to attend their nearest independent school free of charge? Private initiative would thus be giving a lead where public authorities had found themselves unable to respond.
Many of the other problems to which Mr Lock- hart refers—they are largely associated with the Vic- torian image presented by the schools—will be
removed when the new attitudes towards 'boarding' that are resulting from Dr Lambert's invaluable re- search on boarding education and the demand for it produce new schemes in the schools themselves. Weekly boarding, for example—such as is common in Russia—will allow more emphasis to be placed on locality and family background and a getting away from the Victorian type of isolation in the depths of the countryside. (To implement these new experi- mental schemes, of course, financial support is essen- tial. and here again. as Dr Lambert has pointed out, British industry could show a lead where public funds are not at present forthcoming.)
It is with forward-looking developments and poli- cies such as these that the independent schools of the future will prove their value to the community, and while they continue to experiment and progress in this way they surely deserve all the help and encour- agement they can be given.
PHILIP MASON
Worksop College. Work cop. Notts
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