The Future of Public Schools
SIR,—Janus understates the case in his comment last week on the indepen- dent boarding schools: they are not only faring reasonably well," but they continue to enjoy a period of unprecedented prosperity: rising fees offer no serious obstacle to the great demand. Nor in my opinion is Janus correct in suggesting that the use of capital is the main explanation: their prosperity is mainly due to the enlargement of the middle class in terms of financial income, and statistics have shown that the number of those in this country, whose income is within the range of £1,000 to £2,500 per annum, has doubled or trebled during the past twelve years. It is all to the good that these schools are accepting, in larger numbers than before, the sons of those who did not themselves receive the benefits of a public- school education, and the question of the parent, " What class of boy have you in your school?" is more foolish and irrelevant today than it was in the past.
Another factor, though, alas, of trivial numerical significance, is that a few local educational authorities are not only in sympathy with the need of parents for financial help to meet the expense of the independent boarding-school education, but are willing, in making grants, to implement the Education Act of 1944. To this extent the work of the Fleming
Committee was not in vain--Yours faithfully, E. E. A. WHITWORTH. Long Close. Liddington, Wilts.
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