Science in Public Affairs 



or form a clear notion of the real catchment- 

 area of each school, or ascertain whether existing 

 schools might not, with a little further aid, be 

 made to serve a better purpose and a wider 

 neighbourhood. Denmark has husbanded its 

 educational resources to great advantage. 1 Public 

 and private effort have been thriftily woven to- 

 gether, and the whole system inspired with a 

 national purpose. 



As a simple form of classification, I would 

 suggest that all education up to twelve years of 

 age, in whatever type of school it may be given, 

 should be classified as elementary or preparatory. 

 The grants for pupils under twelve years of age 

 in public elementary schools would remain as at 

 present. Private schools educating children under 

 twelve, and found on inspection to be supplying 

 efficient teaching in suitable premises, might be 

 officially recognised as preparatory, but would 

 receive no grants from public funds. The junior 

 classes of higher schools would similarly be classi- 

 fied as preparatory, but the schools would receive 

 no grants under the head of secondary education 

 for that part of their work. The education beyond 

 twelve might be known respectively as higher 

 elementary, or secondary, or higher secondary, 

 according as the course of studies was planned 

 to extend to fourteen or fifteen ; or to sixteen or 

 seventeen ; or to eighteen or nineteen, respectively. 



1 The writings of Mr. J. S. Thornton on Danish and Nor- 

 wegian education are full of suggestion to English adminis- 

 trators. See "Special Reports on Educational Subjects," vol. i. 



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