PUBLIC SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS AND EXHIBITIONS.--GRATEFUL PARENTS.--
INQUIRING MOTHERS.--A DEAR LITTLE CANDIDATE.--LADIES' TESTIMONIALS.
--A SCIENCE MASTER WELL RECOMMENDED.
It seems strange that in a democratic country, overburdened with
school-rates, free education should be offered in the public schools to
the children of the well-to-do and even wealthy people. To give
opportunities to those who have clever children and cannot afford to
pay for their education, such was the spirit which dictated the
foundation of scholarships and exhibitions in the public schools, which
schools are under the supervision of the Charity Commissioners.
The Charity Commissioners! The organizers of that well-ordered British
charity which begins at home!
But all this again does not concern me. If it did, I should say to
gentlemen enjoying revenues of L700, L800, and L1,000 a year: "My dear
sirs, you can afford to pay school fees for your children; please to
leave these scholarships to your less fortunate countrymen."
My diary contains a few recollections about foundation scholars and
their parents which suggested the foregoing remarks to me. Pardon me
for having given them a place here.
* * * * *
I have always noticed that the parents of foundation scholars are much
more troublesome and exacting than those who pay their twenty or thirty
pounds a year to the school for their sons' tuition fees.
The school is their property, the masters their servants, and when
complaints are lodged with the authorities you may be sure they come
from them.
They imagine, for instance, that the school ought to provide the boys
with books, and think it very hard that they should be called upon to
pay for them. When their sons are ordered to get a new book, they
generally take a fortnight to obtain it.
"Where is your book?" you say to a scholar you see looking at his
neighbor's.
"Please, sir, it has not come yet; I have ordered it at the stores."
Two weeks later the book makes its appearance.
When the boys raise subscriptions for their sports, which ought to be
supported especially by those who owe a debt of gratitude to the
school, or for a testimonial got up in favor of a retiring master, or
in memory of a celebrated old pupil, the few recalcitrants are
invariably to be found among the free scholars.
* * * * *
Our boys one day decided on founding a little literary society. As a
few periodicals were to be bought and other little expenses incurred,
their committee passed a resolution that an annual subscription of five
shillings should be demanded of the members.
A father immediately wrote to the young president of the new society,
asking if it was compulsory for his boy to join the society, as he did
not see the force of paying five shillings for what, he thought, his
boy was entitled to enjoy for nothing. The _pater_ received his due by
return of post. The president of the society answered:
"DEAR SIR:
"Your son is not at all compelled to join our society. The
subscription of five shillings was decided upon simply to keep our
meetings select."
* * * * *
The Englishman has a supreme contempt for what is cheap. It is in his
nature. He cannot understand that there is any value in what he has not
to pay for.
I cannot forget the time when a young lunatic hanged himself at
Christ's Hospital, and the plethora of letters that were sent to the
papers by parents who seemed to be anxious to seize the opportunity of
trying to bring discredit on that splendidly conducted school, one of
the most interesting philanthropic institutions in England.
A father, sheltering himself behind a pseudonym, went the length of
writing to the _Daily News_ to say that he had had three sons educated
at Christ's Hospital, but that he thanked God he had not any more to
send there.
The Governors of Christ's Hospital spend L60 a year upon each blue-coat
boy. The three sons of this "indignant" father therefore cost the
Hospital something like L2,000.
What respect this man would have felt for the school if the money had
been drawn out of his own pocket in the shape of capitation fees!
* * * * *
The following conversation once took place between a lady and the head
master of a great public school:
"I have a little boy eleven years old," said the lady, "whom my husband
is anxious to have educated here. He is a very clever little fellow. We
have heard that, on leaving the school to go to one of the two great
universities, some boys received exhibitions varying in value from L80
to L100 a year for four years. Do you think, sir, that our son would
get one, for the probability of his obtaining such an exhibition would
be a great inducement to us to trust the boy to your care?"
"Well," replied the head-master, with great command over his
countenance, "I am afraid I cannot commit myself to any such promise."
The lady retired. Her promising son was probably sent to a more
accommodating school.
* * * * *
The same head-master once received the visit of a man who asked him
point-blank if the scholarship examinations were conducted honestly,
or, in other words, if the scholarships were given according to merit.
From the answer he received he deemed it expedient to beat a speedy
retreat.
* * * * *
When a school has to offer, say, six scholarships to the public, and
there are a hundred candidates applying for them, you may easily
imagine that it is difficult to persuade the parents of the ninety-four
boys who fail that the scholarships are given according to merit.
In distributing six scholarships among a hundred candidates you make
six ungrateful fathers and ninety-four discontented ones.
* * * * *
Whilst our school was being rebuilt in another part of the metropolis,
a loving mother called on the head-master in the City to intimate her
intention of placing her little boy in the school as soon as the new
building would be finished, and also to ask if she would be allowed to
see the room in which her dear child would be taught.
It was a great pity the building was not advanced enough at the time to
permit of her securing a corner for "her darling pet."
* * * * *
The mother to be most dreaded is the one whose husband has left her for
India, or some other warm climate. She is restless, inquisitive, and
never satisfied. Each remark you make to her son brings her on the
school premises for inquiries. She writes letter upon letter, pays
visit upon visit.
Once a week her son brings you a little note in the following style:
"Mrs. X. presents her compliments to Mr. So-and-so, and begs that her
son may be excused for not having prepared his lesson, as he had a bad
headache last night."
A husband may be a nuisance in a house, but when I was a school-master
I always thought he was a great improvement to it.
* * * * *
(_In the Examination Room._)
Sometimes parents send up their sons for scholarship examinations with
very little luggage.
I remember a dear little boy, between ten and eleven, who was a
candidate for one of our vacant scholarships.
On reaching the seat that was assigned to him, he was provided with the
Latin paper by the school secretary, and presented with half a ream of
beautiful writing paper for his answers.
We thought he did not appear very busy, and presently, as I came up to
him, I spoke a few kind words and gave him a little pat on the back.
"Well, how are you getting on?" I said.
"Please, sir, I can't do this paper. I don't know what it is about," he
said, looking at me as if for help.
"Don't you know any Latin?" I inquired.
"Yes, sir; I know my first two declensions."
"Is that all the Latin you know?"
"Yes, sir."
"I suppose you won't take up Greek, will you?"
"I expect I had better not, sir, as I have never learned any," he
replied, with his eyes half out of their sockets. "Is it difficult,
sir?" he suggested, thinking I was not looking satisfied with his
answer.
"Not very," I replied; "but if I were you I would not have my first try
at it to-day."
"Thank you, sir," said my little friend.
"Do you know any French?" I then asked.
"Please, sir, mamma taught me a few sentences."
"Well, let me hear."
"Please, sir, I know _Quelle heure est-il?_ and _Comment vous
portez-vous?_"
"Any grammar?"
"No, sir."
"Don't you know the French for _I shall have_?"
"No, sir, I don't think I do."
"Do you know any mathematics?"
"Do you mean arithmetic, sir?"
"Yes, I do."
"Please, sir, I can do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and short
division."
"I suppose you will try the English subjects. Do you know any English?"
"Yes, sir, I can speak English," he said, looking at me with surprise.
"Of course you can," I replied; "but you know some history, I suppose.
Have you ever read any English history?"
"Yes, sir, I have read 'Robinson Crusoe.'"
"Well, well, my poor boy, I am afraid you have not much chance of
getting a scholarship."
"Haven't I?" said the dear child, and he burst into tears. Then he
handed me a letter, which was addressed to the head-master.
It was a supplication from his mother. Her little boy was very clever,
she said, and she hoped he would not be judged by what he actually
knew, but by what she was sure he would be able to learn if admitted
into the school.
Poor child! we comforted him as well as we could, and sent him back to
his mamma. He was very miserable.
* * * * *
Ladies are sometimes great at testimonials, and they must think it very
ungentlemanly of men not to favor their candidates.
When our head science mastership was vacant, over a hundred
applications were lodged with the head-master for his consideration. I
remember that among the candidates there was one who was only provided
with a single testimonial, and this from a lady (an old lady, I
imagine). The testimonial was to the effect that "she had known Mr. P.
for many years. He was a good and steady young man, and she knew he was
very fond of science."
This testimonial failed to secure the appointment for its owner.