There is a great controversy going on as to the
removal of Shrewsbury School to a new site at the distance of a mile from the existing buildings. The new Board of Governors and the Head Master are in favour of this removal, arguing that Shrews- bury cannot keep its present high place among the public schools without a larger number of scholars than its present number (about 180), since there must always be a certain proportion between the total number of scholars and the number of distinguished scholars ; that there is no room for a school of 300, much less for one of 600, on the present site ; that Charterhouse gained enormously instead of losing from removal into the country; and that Shrewsbury, with a much less wrench will do likewise. To this a committee of old Salopiaus reply, in a very ably argued answer to the head master, that Dr. Arnold thought 300 boys the very largest number over whom a head master could keep up any personal influence ; that Shrewsbury owes a great deal of its success to its smallness ; that by certain changes suggested, the present site would be quite large enough for 300 boys ; that change of site would be a great blow to the traditions of the school ; and finally, that there is no great fund, like that which Charterhouse gained from the sale of its City site, to cover the dangerously large expenses contemplated. On the whole, the old Salopians seem to us to have the best of the argu- ment. We confess we do not wish to see all our public schools grow as multitudinous as Eton, or even grow out of the head masters' hands.
Previous page
