The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-21 00:00:00

SrOURBRIIIuE uItAMM.I/41; SCHOOL.

The annual distribution of prizes to the boys
of Luis school took place on I hursday, in tue
presence of a considerable number of visitors.
1: tie Rev. H. Robertson, one of the governors of ,
the school, presided, and first called on the
Head Master, the It* W. J. J. Welch, to give
his 011111‘11 report. Tie spoke in satisf.tetory
terms of the good moral !one of tire school, and
of the progress of the boy a. The number of
boys had increased to 54, end, as more could
nut be accoruniodale.l, flu ore vacancies would
be Ii led up by priority of application. Compara-
tively tow boys studied French and drawing,
and Mt. Welch urged ou p irents the important
C mute& cial bearings of Wise studies, especialk.
iu that diArict. lie bad lung desired to intro•
duce some important alterations in the classifica-
tion of the hey s ; till ill flatll.l3 there would be
. a tare tlion.tegii separation of classical and
i modern stibjectr of study, in v.ew of tue future
career of the variJas schol.im t!,iLieu their
gathering last year. Mathews primes had ob-
tained a second (lassie honours amongst seniors
at the Cambridge titiddloclas ex 'initiation. He
was also placed first in chi mi..try aim hg the
senior candidates trout the whole kingdom and
eighth in Latin. 0. F. Simms also sm.cessfully
passed the same examination among the junior
candidates. Last week F. D. Thomas passed
the matriculation examination Et Trinity College
Cambridge, where he would enter in October.
Two other pupils, 0. 1. S. Plant, and J. J. W.
Wilmshurst, had recently passed the preliminary
examination of the Incorporated Law Society;
and a number of candidates presented them-
selves last mouth ut the Government science
and art examinations, the results of which were
not yet known. Mathews primus was a candi-
date for Walker's scholarship and Baker's ex-
hibition, and he proposed to go to Cambridge in
October next.

The Chairmau, having commented on most of
the points in the report, said he trusted they
should never have to abandon the study of Gres k
in the school *which was proposed by the En-
dowed Schools Commissioners), and observed it
would be strange if in a neighbourhood like that
the Grammar School of Stourbridge :should not
afford facilities for the study of that language.
The govenora had carefully considered the mug-
gestions of the Endowed School Commissioners,
one or two of which h d given them great anx-
iety. It was proposed that the property of the
school should be gradually sold, and the money
invested with the official trustee of charitable
funds. If this were done, the revenue would
remain stationary, instead of expanding, while
the safety of the principal might be seriously
damaged at some future day. As to the pro•
posed girls' grammar school, he was still in
favour of its establishment; but still as a gove-
nor he could not approve the proposal of the
Commissioners till lie was satisfied the finances
, would be sufficient for the purpose. The
governors proposed a saving clause in the
scheme, that the girls' school should be estab-
lished if possible. If the existing funds were
not sufficient, in a wealthy neighbourhood like
that there should be no difficulty in raising a
fund for the establishmt ut of the school. In
that town at the present time there was a goad
deal of electricity in the atmosphere as regal Jed
education. He trusted those who were to be
elected on the School Board would be the best
men—those who knew most concerning educa•
tion, and not only those who were likely the save
the rates. As it was not unlikely that the chair-
man of the School Board would be on the new
Board of Governors of the Grammar School, it
was important 'that all those on the School
Board should be persons whose character was
irreproachable, and whose knowledge of the
subject to be dealt with was such that confidence
could be placed in them. After some further
remarks, the chairman distributed the prizes.