Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-08-19
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OF ENGLAND
From scribner's Magazine.


What Is a public school in England?
The question Is natural and the an
swer we'll nigh impossible. Even the
head master smiles at the oft-heard
query, but he seldom attempts to give
o categorical reply. He knows; but 1t
for him to impart his knowledge to
you-doubly difficult il you are an
American.
There is certain act of parliament
which seems to imply that these schools
arc limited to Elton, Harrow, Rugby.
Winchester, Westminster and Shrews-
bury; but these names by no means
complete the list. 1t is rather by a pro-
cess of elimination and selection that
the understanding of the place and
function of a school like Rugby is to be
attained.
First of all, the word public" is mis-
leading, for these schools are not pub
lie" in any such sense as the word i'm
plies in America. They are not sup
ported by the public nor are the pupils
drawn from the public at large. 1t is
true, they have certain governmental
relations, but then every institution and
every man on the British isles has, in
/ q way, @ certain similar relation, so
that the term neither defines nor ex-
plains the peculiar meaning of the eX-
preston as it is applied to these great
schools.
Nor do the boys in attendance come
from the public at large. Two causes
prevent this-one of which is the high
fees which must be paid, and the fees
are high in every one of these schools
The second cause is found in the nature
Of the requirements for admission. A
severe entrance examination must be
passed. Nor are the payment Of charges
/ and the successful passing of these eX-
aminatons sufficient. In most of the
4 schools there is a continual Swimming
! Of the cream of England's boyhood
Last year there were IA vacancies in
Winchester and IA applicants success
( fully passed. but only the first Ia We're
selected. One can readily perceive what
J this process, when 1t is long continued
does for a school. A third barrier is the
will Of the head master, who may, IL for
any reason he deems such action dcsir-
able, refuse to receive boy, no mat
ter how promptly his fees have been
paid or with what credit his entrance
examinations We're passed.
These schools are for boys and not
for girls. No girls school, whatever
Its standing or quality. has been, is
now, or evermorc shall be classified
with Englands public schools.
Then, too. there are sharp Limitations
as to the age of the boys. In most of
the public schools the average age OF
the entering boys is ~. and they are
18 when the course is completed. The
law is not innexible. but it is clearly
stated In the prospectus that if a boy
does not pass out of his form at a GER
tain age, he is no longer permitted to
remain as pupil. In the school YER
nacular he is "superannuated."
To many the distinctive feature of 8
public school is it's relation to the two
great niversitics-Oxford or Cam
bridge-or in its special relation to {
certain college of the university Al
Winchester this connection is witt
New college oxford while at Elton i
Is with Christ church. This peculiar
relation, however, is not infleXible, ant
many go out from these schools to en-
ter other oxford colleges or go to Cam
bridge.
There are many Englishmen t'
whom the final test of . public schoo
is found in it's contrast to private" %
proprietary schools. And there ar
many of the latter that give most ex
cellent drill. and have standards a
high as the best of the schools we ar
considering. But by no stretch of tn
British imagination are they locke
upon as permanent. The publ
schools, on the contrary, in the eye
Of the law and in the thought OF tn
nation, are immortal. A school wit