THE SPENS REPORT [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR,
— One cannot but admire the unwearied zeal with which Lady Simon conducts her campaign for democracy as she sees it. We are assured that the pure doctrine is to be found in the Spens Report adumbrated by a Committee which was selected by no means in a democratic manner.
Many will have noted that Lady Simon modifies her posi- tion as the correspondence proceeds. She has also ignored certain vital criticisms. It is not sufficient to talk generally about democratic and national systems and to raise clarion cries about equality of opportunity. Many will agree with the underlying philosophy but dispute the methods. For example, the application of a full-blooded too per cent. special place system means that the rights of the parents who pay the rates and taxes and in many cases the rights of the schools who provide their own capital and buildings are to be over-ridden. To many of us this is a peculiar brand of democracy.
The zoo per cent. special-place system implies that the parent loses a good deal of freedom of selection, that he is to submit to an annual means-test and that he will probably have to pay higher fees than at present.
There seems to be an assumption that schools with too per cent. special places have a higher standard of work than schools with a smaller percentage. There is no evidence in support of this. In fact, some of the best schools have a small percentage of special places and this, surely, demonstrates that there cannot be much wrong with the fee-payers.
If we are to have a pure doctrine of too per cent. special places and full equality let us consider its logical limits. Amongst other things this would mean too per cent. special places at the Universities and a drastic revision of our Honours Lists.
Headmasters subscribe entirely to equality of opportunity as ordinarily understood. They maintain that if there are any poor boys who are unable to get higher education then it is the duty of the local authority to provide more schools and more places.
For their part Headmasters have done a great deal in help- ing poor boys to get higher education, to go on to the Universities and to secure suitable posts.
One gets the impression from Lady Simon that she thinks Headmasters are snobs. This is, of course, entirely untrue. Lady Simon is such a keen advocate of a national system that many wonder if she used this national system in edu- cating her own children. Or did she send them to one of the private schools—one of the " excrescences," to use Lady Simon's elegant term ?—Yours faithfully,
TERRY THOMAS.
Previous page
