ON TRAINING IN CITIZENSHIP. 309 



Qualified by examination as N.C.O.s. — These are entitled to wear a 

 green ribbon. 



The Secretary is responsible for collection of the badges and their redistribu- 

 tion at the proper times, and must in particular see that the badges of 

 Prefects who are absent do not get lost. Prefects are not entitled to any of 

 the privileges or immunities attached to prefectship unless they are wearing 

 their badges of rank. 



Cowley Schools, St. Helens. 

 Civic Government by Boys. 



(Written by a Boy at School.) 



There is at Cowley a system of self-government by the boys, whereby 

 every boy of average intellect is given a chance of commanding his smaller 

 school-fellows. 



Description of System. 



School of 300 divided into 8 houses, and forms as nsnai. 

 Each house has a captain, a vice-captain, and a house-master, in addition 

 to house-prefects. 



Inter-house competitions take place between houses in Eugby, cricket, box- 

 ing, swimming, and work. To each of the champion houses there are cups 

 awarded. 



The school itself has about eight prefects and eight sub-prefects, who have 

 a private room of their own. These are led by a head-prefect. 



The games in the school are compulsory, and take place after 4.15 on 

 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and also on Wednesday afternoon. 



On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, for twenty minutes after 

 12 o'clock, the school does ' drill,' not physical (takes place under tutorship of 

 master) but military. It is an actual fact in this school that the ' boys ' do 

 self-govern and masters are in the school only to teach in certain periods. 

 Why are the boys able to do this? For the following reasons : — 

 Spirit of Command is fostered. 



(a) Captains of Forms are responsible for their forms, and as form 

 matches take place between forms the captain has ample scope of the 

 exercising of his authority. 

 (6) The games are run in sets. Every set has two or three captains, 

 and almost every boy in the school has a chance of captaining a side 

 in Rugby or some other game at some time or other, 

 (c) As a boy grows older, having had practice as a form or set captain, 

 he becomes, perhaps, if he shows energy, vice-captain and the captain 

 of a house. This means work and plenty of it. When a boy becomes 

 a house-captain he begins to understand the spirit of responsibility. 

 {d) Minor and then chief commanding position in drill. — This point 

 cannot be too greatly emphasised. It is a well-known fact that chaps 

 in this school hate military drill until they obtain a minor command. 

 This enlivens their interest, and the worst grouser after a year of 

 commanding realises the value of the drill — not for its military value, 

 but for the effect it has on one's personality. A boy afraid to enter 

 a room containing a master may come out so much in a year by 

 commanding a squad in the drill that a whole squad of masters would 

 not and do not frighten him. 

 (e) After these preliminary steps to the top a boy becomes first a sub- 

 prefect and then a prefect, a captain of games (either Rugby or 

 cricket) or a chief commander in the drill. 



In this way the spirit of command is fostered and a boy leaves Cowley fit to 

 rule a kingdom (as well as the Coalition do England). A prefect may give a 

 boy lines, he may, in special cases, whack a boy, but what backing does the 

 prefect get from the powers that be? 



(a) The Head supports him. 



(b) The masters tolerate him. 



(c) The governors don't know what he is and will not admit his rights. 



