OVERLAPPING BETWEEN SECONDARY AND OTHER EDUCATION. 233 



the subject which will form their special study at the university. It 

 is, however, widely felt that a smaller amount of time should be 

 devoted to some other work which will tend to widen their minds, 

 e.g. , those who are to take a degree in classics should also read a certain 

 amount of modern history, those who aim at a science degree should 

 learn German, and for those who are to read mathematics or history 

 a course of elementary science should be provided. 



The following opinions are typical of many letters received: — 



Mr. 0. H. Latter (Charterhouse). 



I have no hesitation whatever in pronouncing in favour of boys staying on at 

 school after passing the Entrance examination to a university. If a boy has the 

 natural aptitude for classics, and if his father's purse is deep enough, by all 

 means let him enlarge his mental outlook as much as possible. But the majority 

 are boys whose intellectual bent is in the direction in which they incline to 

 specialise ; and in such cases I do not see why the side of the mind which can be 

 cultivated con amort should not get its opportunity at school. 



I am dead against the idea that a boy should leave school at sixteen. It is 

 those last years from sixteen to eighteen that give our English Public Schools 

 (and Englishmen) the quality that is the envy of the world. It is then that 

 they learn self-control, how to use authority, and all the most valuable part of 

 character-training. I am not blind to the faults of our Public Schools, but I 

 would sooner continue many of these than sacrifice the one thing which has gone 

 a long way towards forming our conception of an English gentleman. Reform 

 us in some matters if you like, but do not interfere with that remarkable mixture 

 of self-government and tutelage that is our peculiar possession, and that no other 

 nation in the world attempts. 



Mr. C. F. Mott (Giggleswick). 



During his last few terms at school a boy who aims at an Honours degree at 

 the university should run no risk of losing ground in his special subject. He 

 should therefore devote a considerable time to it. English should be retained 

 for the sake of general culture, and subjects which are likely to be useful should 

 be added ; e.g., a science student should give attention to mathematics and modern 

 languages. It is greatly to the advantage of a boy who is going to specialise at 

 the university to remain as long as possible at school, if the conditions are such 

 that a master or masters can give him a good deal of attention and help in his 

 special work, which is generally the case at Public Schools. 



There can be little or no overlapping between Public Schools and Oxford or 

 Cambridge, as it is not customary to enter these universities before the age of 

 nineteen nor, in most cases, possible to remain at school after that age. The 

 Provincial universities, however, admit students at a lower age, and overlapping 

 occurs between them and the larger secondary schools. 



With regard to a break in the method of instruction, I see no reason why such 

 a break in method, if it occurs at all, should coincide with the change from 

 school to university. It would seem better gradually to modify the method as 

 the age of the pupil increases, suiting it to his powers and attainments, and in 

 the later stages accustoming him as far as possible to the methods he will find in 

 use at the universities. Otherwise he may lose time in adjusting himelf to new 

 conditions. 



It has proved to be impossible to obtain any useful figures showing 

 the number of boys who remain at school for any considerable time 

 after passing some public examination, the difficulty being that in the 

 majority of cases boys who are working for scholarships are not sent 

 in for Responsions, kc, until they have obtained their scholarships: 

 consequently any such figures would omit the most promising boys 

 from the various schools, and would give a totally erroneous view of 

 the work carried on in them. 



