ON TRAINING IN CITIZENSHIP. 367 
Mistresses who have felt strongly the necessity for teaching English History 
in such a way as to arouse a sense of Citizenship and a desire to know both 
the rights and the duties of citizens. We have a Union for Social Work 
which is constantly increasing in importance, and in connection with this 
we have had from time to time Reading Circles for studying books specially 
important in regard to our Social Work. Perhaps if I enclose with this letter 
a statement of what is being done you will see that it could be supported only 
by girls who were to some extent interested in Citizenship from a social point 
ot view. 
“2. With regard to self-government, if by that the Committee of the British 
Association means government of the girls in the School by one another, I 
am opposed to the practice with all my heart. I happen to know of one 
Headmistress who in one of the largest—if not the largest—Girls’ Day Schools 
in London makes it a success, but I am quite certain that I could not make 
it a success, and J am not sure that I should wish to do so. The discipline 
of the School is entrusted very largely to the prefects, who constitute the 
Eighth Form, and are a body of girls between eighteen and nineteen, varying 
in different years in number from fourteen to twenty. They never give 
punishments, because there are no punishments in the School, but they have 
the right of forbidding the girls to do certain things, and if the girls are 
disobedient or are found breaking the School rules, such as the rule of silence 
in the passages and on the stairs, the prefects may tell the girls to report 
themselves to their Form Mistress. The Form Mistress has no power to 
punish, but if after a girl has been reported to her she repeats the offence 
_ the worst that can happen to the girl is that she should be sent to me. A 
great deal of power is put into the hands of the elder girls here, and I 
think I may say it is never abused. They carry on their own Societies— 
Science, History, Music, Literature, &c.—and I am the President of each 
and a few mistresses belong to each, but we never interfere with the conduct 
of affairs, and when I go, as I generally do, to a meeting I simply go to 
enjoy myself. Mistresses occasionally give help if they are asked, especially 
in the Science and Musical Societies. 
‘I am afraid my remarks have run into my answers to No. 2, so that I 
will end here by saying that I always feel anxious lest definite Citizenship 
Training, excellent though it might be in one school or another, might over 
a wide area sacrifice the spirit to the letter.’ 
From Ladies’ College, Cheltenham. 
_ £1. There is no scheme in Citizenship given throughout the ‘School, but 
lectures on subjects of general interest are given from time to time. 
‘2. The fifteen Houses all have their own schemes of self-government; in 
the larger Houses these are developed to a greater extent than in the smaller 
ones, but the seniors in most of the Houses have a good deal of authority. In 
each case the head girl has many duties. Debates are held from time to time 
in the larger Houses, and also in the Forms of the Upper School. 
“3. We have a Prefect System in the College, which I think is very valuable ; 
we give a good deal of authority to the prefects. | When difficulties of 
discipline occur I generally consult them on the subject, and in matters concerning 
the general welfare of the girls their opinions are welcomed by me. I see 
the prefects each week.’ 
From Croham Hurst School, South Croydon. 
‘We have no unique system, but I think we carry further than the majority 
of schools, at any rate, the principle of self-government, though it has many 
limitations. 
‘The School Officers are prefects and sub-prefects. Prefects are the most 
responsible senior girls; they have considerable authority and meet with the 
staff in consultation on many matters. Nominations for new prefects are 
brought before a joint meeting of staff and prefects, and the appointments 
made or rejected by a majority vote. 
-‘Sub-prefects are Form Officers. Nominations are sent in from the Forms. 
Staff and prefects make the appointments. 
