L. — EDUCATION. 197 



part in providing the most advanced education ; nor that they place 

 their best at the disposal of the Local Education Authorities' scholars 

 and contribute a part of the teaching staff. I am, however, to-day 

 suggesting a closer association with Local Education Authoi'ities, and of 

 bringing to bear more immediately on local and public education the 

 wealth of their long experience and the riches of their accumulated 

 knowledge. 



There is a third group of institutions which have had a large 

 share in English education. I refer to the endowed Grammar Schools. 

 Partly of choice, partly through stress of circumstances, many of 

 these schools have joined forces with the Local Education Authorities. 

 With the recent rapid growth in the cost of maintenance and with in- 

 adequacy of other sources of income they have received ' aid ' from 

 the Authority. Some have become municipal schools : others have 

 undertaken to bear their share m local work, but have retained their 

 individuality of character and independence of Government, to both of 

 which they are passionately attached. All have contributed much to 

 the general stoi'ehouse of ideas, and the local system has been enriched 

 by the co-operation of forces of different origin, methods, and historical 

 significance. 



All three groups of institutions were founded by the few whose spirit 

 in so far as it sought the spread of education has now passed to the 

 multitude. They are ali national institutions, but, with the exceptions 

 to which I have referred, they form no part of the national system 

 administered by Local Education Authorities and supervised by the 

 Board of Education. I do not, of course, suggest control. That is 

 obviously impossible in the case of two of the groups. Nor am I 

 to-day thinking of making constructive proposals as to the forms of 

 associations. Such proposals will, I hope, be put forward later in the 

 week. For the moment it will be sufficient to add that the association 

 desired is direct and close rather than mdirect and remote, and in 

 teaching rather than in administration. 



_ There is one further group which I cannot pass in silence: the 

 private schools. Each Local Education Authority must, under Section 1 

 of the Act of 1918, submit a scheme for the progi-essive and compre- 

 hensive organisation of education within its area. Presumably, each 

 Local Education Authority will include the local ' places ' in efficient 

 private schools as part of the accommodation already provided in the 

 area. All such efficient private schools, whether run for private profit 

 or not, reduce the pi'ovision to be made by the Authority. To the 

 extent to which they relieve the burden on the Authority they are 

 therefore contributing to the public service. In return the Authority, 

 while it cannot financially assist schools conducted for private profit' 

 can confer advantages through close association with its organisation! 

 All private schools doing local work, at all events all which claim to 

 be efficient, would therefore serve their own interests and render public 

 service by entering into communication with the Authority and getting 

 the lines of local co-operation satisfactorily adjusted. 



