But in very few cases are nominations made in such conscientious accordance with the spirit and intent of the founder. In some points St. Paul's is what many parents would consider a model school. There is no fagging, and no flogging. "That truly British institution, the rod," is, to Mr. Commissioner Vaughan's astonishment, unknown in those happy precincts. There is only its weak substitute, the cane. Even that instrument, however, in able hands, had been made in former times to do a good deal of duty. Now, only six formal cuts are administered, always on the hand; but when the present head-master first entered upon his duties, he found a good deal of what cricketers call "lively hitting to all parts of the field" going on-"especially about the legs and back;" so much so, that the noise alone formed a great obstruction to the progress of the school duties." The reason why the young Paulines are neither fagged nor birched lies in the fact of the school being exclusively a day-school. When boys only associate with each other in the schoolroom, under the immediate eye of the masters, and separate immediately afterwards for their several homes, any system of fagging would be neither possible nor desirable ; and any exceptional instances of the kind the master would very properly check: so also, having little or no connection with the school except during lesson hours, the only offences which usually come under the master's eye are those of idleness or disorder; the moral discipline of the boys must be supposed to rest wholly with the parents, and those graver moral offences, to which the punishment of flogging in most public schools is now almost exclusively confined, can very rarely come under the master's cognisance. Of course, a mere day-school education in a city like London, and where the boys, as at St. Paul's, spend perhaps two hours of the day in going and returning from school, with an additional hour's break in the middle of the day, when they are allowed to go wher ever they please to get their lunch or dinner, is liable to the serious objection that the gravest moral misconduct may go on without either master or parent being aware of it. In fact, Dr. Kynaston fairly disclaims for himself any real responsibility for his scholars in any respect except their school-work; "he has not an opportunity of observing the moral conduct of the boys, except in their general propriety of demeanour, and in matters of discipline between the master and the boys."* This, with the want of social intercourse in the boarding-house and the play-ground, which has been already noticed, is the point in which London dayschool life falls so far short of the best public-school training. Such school friendships as are formed depend, it is confessed, somewhat on the accident of "going home the same way," or some other chance association. Yet with all these disadvantages, one is pleased as well as surprised to find that it used to be said of the Paulines at the universities, that they "hung together more than other schools;" though it was perhaps because they went up only three or four together, not like a large school, where they send up thirty or forty." 66 St. Paul's is lavish in prizes and exhibitions to the universities-too lavish, in proportion to the amount of competition for them, as the head-master boldly complains, and as the Commissioners fully agree. There are usually not more than five or six boys who go off to college * Evidence, 523. every year (a strangely small proportion, when it is considered that the 153 scholars are "almost invariably" the sons of clergymen or professional men "West End boys"), and all of them get exhibitions. The captain of the year gets one of £120, for four years, tenable with any scholarship at any college in either university; the next has one of £100 to Trinity, Cambridge; the next £80, and the Court give as many of £50 each as may be required, "to any one that the examiners say is fit to go to the university." Besides this liberal provision, the Court of Assistants is in the habit of giving an honorarium to those who after leaving school obtain scholarships or honours at the universities, or what the Commissioners term "certain supposed distinctions in public competitive examinations." Not less than £160 was expended under this head in the year 1860. The Secretary, in drawing up the report on these points, relieves his mind from the dryness of detail by a touch of satire not uncongenial to him. He observes in the name of the Commissioners that "the principle of giving a boy an exhibition on the mere certificate of the examiners that he is not absolutely unfit to hold it, is to us a novel one;" and that "to bestow a sum of money upon a young man as a reward for having obtained a considerable addition to his income, is a proceeding the reasons of which are not selfevident." The truth is, the school trust has so much money that they do not know what to do with it. "They have a present available surplus of at least £2500 per annum,' with a prospect of £2000 more if the school lasts until 1888; and it is due to the Court of Assistants to say that they have for some time been considering what is best to be done with it; whether to increase the numbers of the school on its present site-which would be very difficult and not very desirable or to remove it altogether into the country, or to retain the present school, increasing it to 200, and add a second affiliated school for boarders at a distance from town. But the Commissioners recommend the sale of the present site, where the noise of the traffic seriously interrupts the work of the school, and which is said also to affect the health of the boys, and the erection of a new school for 500 boys in some such locality as Pentonville or the new Victoria Street; still maintaining Dean Colet's foundation for the purposes for which he plainly intended it—“ a day-school to which the dwellers in London were to have access for the purpose of acquiring the highest literary culture." They think, with the Bishops of London and Manchester, that the need of such schools in London is at least as great as ever, and that "the want of a more thoroughly grounded and higher element in the secondary classes of our professions is producing in some quarters slow but irremediable mischief." They recommend no addition to the 153 scholars on the foundation, but that the election should be strictly competitive, and that the non-foundationers, whose numbers would be so largely increased, should be eligible to all the exhibitions, which might then be at least doubled in number. With these reforms, it is their opinion that the school " might and ought to become the first in London, and one of the first in Great Britain." The school attached to Sutton's Hospital of the Charter-House differs in one essential point from St. Paul's; all the boys on the "foundation are boarders. These are now fifty-four in number, who receive gratuitously board, lodging, education, medical attendance, and clothing. They are nominated, subject to a mere formal examination, by the sixteen governors (amongst whom are the two Archbishops) in rotation, excepting that, under a ate arrangement, two scholars in every year are selected by competition. Every foundation scholar a request made for a presentation for the son of a man of letters who was in straitened circumstances, I should not think myself bound to subject the child to the usual test."-Evidence, 927, 936. But in very few cases are nominations made in such conscientious accordance with the spirit and intent of the founder. punishment of flogging in most Such In some points St. Paul's is what many parents would consider a model school. There is no fagging, and no flogging. "That truly British institution, the rod," is, to Mr. Commissioner Vaughan's astonishment, unknown in those happy precincts. There is only its weak substitute, the cane. Even that instrument, however, in able hands, had been made in former times to do a good deal of duty. Now, only six formal cuts are administered, always on the hand; but when the present head-master first entered upon his duties, he found a good deal of what cricketers call "lively hitting to all parts of the field" going on-"especially about the legs and back;" so much so, that "the noise alone formed a great obstruction to the progress of the school duties." The reason why the young Paulines are neither fagged nor birched lies in the fact of the school being exclusively a day-school. When boys only associate with each other in the schoolYet with all room, under the immediate eye of these disadvantages, one is pleased the masters, and separate imme- as well as surprised to find that it diately afterwards for their several used to be said of the Paulines at the homes, any system of fagging universities, that they "hung toge would be neither possible nor de- ther more than other schools;" sirable; and any exceptional in though it was "perhaps because stances of the kind the master they went up only three or four towould very properly check so gether, not like a large school, where also, having little or no connection they send up thirty or forty." with the school except during lesson hours, the only offences which usually come under the master's eye are those of idleness or disorder; the moral discipline of the boys must be supposed to rest wholly with the parents, and those graver moral offences, to which the St. Paul's is lavish in prizes and exhibitions to the universities-too lavish, in proportion to the amount of competition for them, as the head-master boldly complains, and as the Commissioners fully agree. There are usually not more than five or six boys who go off to college • Evidence, 523. men school, increasing it to 200, and add a second affiliated school for boarders at a distance from town. But the Commissioners recommend the sale of the present site, where the noise of the traffic seriously interrupts the work of the school, and which is said also to affect the health of the boys, and the erection of a new school for 500 boys in some such locality as Pentonville or the new Victoria Street; still maintaining Dean Colet's foundation for the purposes for which he plainly intended it-" a day-school to which the dwellers in London were to have access for the purpose of acquiring the highest literary culture." They think, with the Bishops of London and Manchester, that the need of such schools in London is at least as great as ever, and that "the want of a more thoroughly grounded and higher element in the secondary classes of our professions is producing in some quarters slow but irremediable mischief." They recommend no addition to the 153 scholars on the foundation, but that the election should be strictly competitive, and that the non-foundationers, whose numbers would be so largely increased, should be eligi ble to all the exhibitions, which might then be at least doubled in number. With these reforms, it is their opinion that the school "might and ought to become the first in London, and one of the first in Great Britain." every year (a strangely small proportion, when it is considered that the 153 scholars are "almost invariably" the sons of clergymen or professional "West End boys"), and all of them get exhibitions. The captain of the year gets one of £120, for four years, tenable with any scholarship at any college in either university; the next has one of £100 to Trinity, Cambridge; the next £80, and the Court give as many of £50 each as may be required, "to any one that the examiners say is fit to go to the university.' Besides this liberal provision, the Court of Assistants is in the habit of giving an honorarium to those who after leaving school obtain scholarships or honours at the universities, or what the Commissioners term "certain supposed distinctions in public competitive examinations." Not less than £160 was expended under this head in the year 1860. The Secretary, in drawing up the report on these points, relieves his mind from the dryness of detail by a touch of satire not uncongenial to him. He observes in the name of the Commissioners that "the principle of giving a boy an exhibition on the mere certificate of the examiners that he is not absolutely unfit to hold it, is to us a novel one;" and that "to bestow a sum of money upon a young man as a reward for having obtained a considerable addition to his income, is a proceeding the reasons of which are not selfevident." The truth is, the school The school attached to Sutton's trust has so much money that they Hospital of the Charter-House do not know what to do with it. differs in one essential point from "They have a present available sur- St. Paul's; all the boys on the plus of at least £2500 per annum,' foundation are boarders. These are with a prospect of £2000 more if now fifty-four in number, who receive the school lasts until 1888; and it gratuitously board, lodging, educais due to the Court of Assistants to tion, medical attendance, and clothsay that they have for some time ing. They are nominated, subject been considering what is best to be to a mere formal examination, by done with it; whether to increase the sixteen governors (amongst the numbers of the school on its whom are the two Archbishops) in present site-which would be very rotation, excepting that, under a difficult and not very desirable-or ate arrangement, two scholars in to remove it altogether into the every year are selected by competicountry, or to retain the present tion. Every foundation scholar Council ordinance, into twenty-one scholarships of £100, tenable for seven years, of which three are to be filled up by competition annually. Besides these, the school has a large number of exhibitions from different benefactors of £60 and under, so that no body of the most moderate merit enters the universities without some such assistance. The number in the school is formally limited to 250, and always keeps a little over that mark. It is not surprising, that, with these stimulants, Merchant Taylors' appear to have had a larger proportion of university honours than any other of the London schools.* This success seems to be attained under some disadvantages. The staff of classical masters is clearly inadequate, being only six to 260 boys 44 on the average to each; and even of these six, the four undermasters teach mathematics also. Dr. Hessey admits the insufficiency of his staff, and has no doubt but that the liberality of the Company would at once increase it; but there is at present no accommodation, in the way of class-rooms, for a greater number. His evidence shows a system of hearty and earnest work throughout the school, which may go some way towards explaining its successful progress under difficulties. Its system has some peculiar features, which quite deserve more special notice than the Commission has bestowed upon them in its brief report. The boys themselves are partially employed as what may be called pupil-teachers. It is no doubt the remains of a very ancient system (still in existence also at Winchester College), and had prevailed in the school to even greater extent before the time of the present head-master. When a young boy enters the school who is rather backward, or at any time when he may seem to require temporary help, the head-master, to use his own words, "recommends to the parent some discreet elder boy who is willing to undertake the charge," and to whom a small fee is paid for his trouble. The monitors (the headboys in the school) are also occasionally employed in looking over some of the lower boys' exercises, or even taking a form in the absence of one of the masters; which they do, says Dr. Hessey, "very nicely indeed." "The monitors look over certain exercises, and mark any passage which they consider objectionable. When a monitor has examined an exercise, he puts his name at the bottom of it. I then glance over it, and call the boy up, when I perhaps say to him, B has looked over your exercise, and I agree with his criticism: I should have marked the same faults myself.' call up the monitor, and say, 'Do you mean to find fault with this particular passage?' He does not like to be found out in marking a fault where there was none, and this makes him more careful for the future. Or perhaps I say, Or I How is this? You have allowed this mistake to pass ?' . . . It makes them critical, obliges them to look into many minute points, and thus improves their own scholarship." Flogging is very rarely used. A mode of punishment is adopted occasionally, in the higher part of the school, which is no doubt effective in judicious hands. The offender receives a "public rebuke:" "the school is silent," says Dr. Hessey, "while I tell him my mind in reference to his particular offence. It produces a considerable effect upon the school; the boys are very unwilling to have themselves brought up to me; not that I am severe in my way of punishing * Between 1839 and 1862 the school has gained at Oxford, where most of its boys go, 11 Classical and 10 Mathematical Firsts in "Finals," and 16 Classical and 7 Mathematical Firsts at 66 Moderations," besides other distinctions: and has had three high Wranglers and three Bell's scholars at Cambridge. This is the more creditable, because the average number who go up to the universities at all is only about eight per annum : "the smallest proportion," says the Report, "of any of the schools under review."-Report, p. 205. |