Evening star., 1942-06-17
Britain Considers
Democratizing It's
School System
Lord Fleming to Heed
Committee Studying
Widespread Changes
BY HELEN KIRKPATRICK,

Fofelgn correspondent OF The Star and
Chicaso Daily News.
LONDON, June 1.-THE opening
of Great Britain's public schools
to children from elementary schools
and considerable revision of the edu-
cational system in general was fore
cast in Parliament yesterday by R.
A. Butler, president Of the Board of
Education and until last year under
secretary for foreign affairs.
However. several labor members
objected to the principle of main
tanning public schools and to the
appointment of Lord Fleming,
Scottish Lord of Session, to head a
committee to study the proposed
changes in the school system. They
attacked Fleming's appointment de-
scribing him as ''diehard reaction
ary." Lord Fleming was selected
for the post as person without bias,
his education having been entirely
in Scotland where public schools do
not occupy the same position Of
Importance as they do in England.
Would Raise Age Minimum.
Two years ago a debate in Parlia-
ment showed widespread belief that
the British school system needed
democratizing. Some favored open
ing the privately-owned and ex-
pensive public schools" to children
OF all classes. Others advocated
abolishing privately-owned schools
altogether and making state school
education compulsory for all.
While the government has not
made final decision, it is indicate
that it is the intention at least to
open the public schools to all
children able to pass the entrance
examinations, and possibly to go
further if the Advisory Committee,
headed by Lord Fleming, formulates
other plans.
Butler proposed four other basic
changes in the school system. The
age for leaving school would be
raised from IA years at first to IS,
then to l6, he said. But the govern
ment felt that young people should
be supervised and provided with
means of education up to 18 years of
age. The system of apprenticeship
should be altered so that education
could be carried on even after boy
or girl had gone into industry
Emphasis, he said, should be on
learning more than on earning. He
also proposed that teachers training
should be better organized, and that
all teachers should be sent abroad at
the end of their training period
before beginning teaching careers.
Milk and Lunches Provided.
The firmest foundation for lasting
peace is in the right type of educa-
ton, Butler told Parliament, and
Britain must tackle the problem now
in wartime. Despite the demands of
war and the problems created, s.
900 900 pounds Approximately $12,-
900 ,000 more has been spent on edu-
cation during this war than before.
Free milk and free meals have been
provided in many schools. Seventy
two per cent of Britain's school chill
dren have been receiving milk daily
and more than 100000 have been Ted
at the schools. BY the end of the
summer it is hoped more than L.
100000 will be able to have hot
lunches at school,
Those who have been devoting
thought to the country's postwar
problems, particularly employment,
are convinced that the age for leav-
ing school must be raised not only
for the educational benefit to be de-
rived but to keep youth out OF in
dustry longer.
Copyright, 1912, Chicago Daily News, Inc)