THE FATE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Sta,—Being absent on military service, I have only just had an opportunity of reading the interesting correspondence on the future of Public Schools, and it is a source of great encouragement to find a paper of the standing and reputation of The Spectator devoting space to this subject.
As founder of the Public Schools Business Society, I have been privileged to know, in many cases intimately, boys coming to start life in London from most of the schools repre- sented at the Headmasters' Conference—all of which are Public Schools. Of the hundreds I have met, the qualities which show themselves most prominently are: health, clear thinking and a background to life, based on principles and standards. I believe that these qualities are the legacies of the community life—the responsibilities and the Christian background of the system. That it should suffer from economic causes is unthinkable. On the contrary, the doors of our Public Schools should be opened wider—the system extended through the establishment by the Government of more schools in or near industrial areas ; and, finally, this type of boarding school, with compulsory games, prefect system, and community life, should be within reach of all parents' means for their sons. The period of attendance may
have to be cut down to two years ; but in that time—say 53 years to 15 years of age—the physical and mental develop- ment of a boy will far outweigh anything which can be achieved through Government grants in other directions to develop that boy later in life.—Yours truly,
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