The Sheffield Poor-law Schools Committee has just issued a Repbrt
on its system of scattered or isolated homes for pauper children. The object of the scheme was to avoid all aggregations of pauper children and to secure the most com- plete commingling with non-pauper children. To do this, scattered homes, " approximating as closely as possible to the conditions of working-class life," have been established in different, parts of the town, with central administrative buildings and a hospital. Each house accommodates fifteen chil4renorho are under the care of foster-parents selected by the Guardians. The children go to the ordinary Board- schgels of their district, and there is no special dress. At home, where the arrangements are simple and unpretentious, both boys and girls assist their "mothers" in household work, such as baking and washing. This no doubt sounds most satisfactory, but it would appear from the criticism of the Local Government Board officials that there is a considerable difficulty in securing adequate supervision in spite of the elaborate machinery provided. This must, of course, always be a serious difficulty in setting up an artificial family. We feel, however, inclined to welcome any plan which gets rid of the barrack - school system. Whatever else is right, that is wrong.
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