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Article THE WORK OF REFORM AT THE BOYS' SCHOOL. Page 1 of 2 Article THE WORK OF REFORM AT THE BOYS' SCHOOL. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Work Of Reform At The Boys' School.
THE WORK OF REFORM AT THE BOYS ' SCHOOL .
THE two reports recently presented by the new Head Master of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , which were given in full in our last week ' s issue , supply ample food for reflection at the
present time . We think they will go far to convince the supporters of the Institution that radical changes were necessary at the School , and that the work of reform has been started on in earnest . If we go
back to the Report of the Committee of Investigation , presented at the Quarterly Court held on the 26 th April of last year , we find it was the opinion of that Committee that
( 1 ) The School is m an unsatisfactory state as regards its management . ( 2 ) The Educational Staff is satisfactory , the teaohing good , and the Sohool'disoipline well maintained . ( 3 ) There is an antagonism between the Educational and Domestic
Staff , which seriously impairs the usefulness of the Institution . It can hardly be said that the above declarations of the Investigation Committee imply that they were wholly satisfied with the Institution itself at Wood
Green , and we must look elsewhere for the accepted opinion as to what was the state of affairs at the School , and which we think was generally regarded as being all that could be desired . The fact is , the
latter part of the Committee's report , which dealt with the Secretarial department of the Institution , and which was very strongly opposed to that department , was seized upon with such vigour as to put
other considerations somewhat in the shade . Popular clamour for the removal of the Secretary has been so loud as to distract attention from other parts of the Report equally deserving of consideration : and it
is only on reference to the Report itself that a fair view of the case can be again brought to our minds . The Provisional Committee , appointed as the outcome of the agitation of the earlv part of last year , have
proved that they at least were not led by the clamour of the multitude to overlook , as we fear many have done , the earlier recommendations of the Investigation Committee in the excitement to put in force the
later ones , and we have proof of the thorough way in which they have fulfilled their task in the action taken at Wood Green to remove the evils pointed out as existing thfirfi .
It is matter of history that the Provisional Committee set about the adoption of the first proposition of the Investigators , that
An entire change in administration , and a thorough breaking away from the present practice , must take place before the manage , raent , discipline , and expenditure of the Institution will be satisfactory .
by making a change at Wood Green . The Head Master ' s retirement was provided for , and now we have a fresh Master ruling in his stead . Some idea of the state of the School may be gathered from the concluding remarks of the present Head Master , in
The Work Of Reform At The Boys' School.
the second of the two reports he has drawn up . He says : —
There are many matters whioh I am considering , for there are many bad practices and arrangements . I am sure the Committee would prefer me to wait qnietly and improve these slowly , after I have thoroughly investigated the whole system . I make these ro . marks only to show that I am quite aware of grievous faults , snob as , amongst boys , waste at meals and of olothes : and , amongst tho
staff , waste of gas , waste of water , and waste of labour j and to say that it will take a considerable time to effect muoh change in these things . In the same way , to excite a better tone amongst the boys , to reduce the liatlessness in play and work , the fear ( whioh baa led to a general untruthfulness ) , the slovenliness of manners and
dressall this will take a long time and hard work . I do not expeot any great results for a couple of years , but I hope we shall show some improvement every month . My staff of Masters and Mistresses have worked splendidly so far , and they all seem excellent teachers and disciplinarians .
Here we have the opinion of a man who has evidently taken considerable pains to get at the true state of affairs , and he reckons on a labour of two years before any great results are to be expected
from the work of reform . This lengthy period to devote to the improvement of the School is unfavourably regarded in some quarters , but we think those who cavil at this opinion of the Plead Master , and
think that reform is possible in a few months , do not thoroughly grasp the whole state of the situation . No doubt an entire change could be wrought—in at least most of the quarters where reform is needed—in
a couple of weeks , but what would it then cost ? The subscribers to the Institution would never sanction an enormous outlay for the purpose of reconstruction , when , perhaps ; equally satisfactory results can be
brought about gradually , at little or no expense , and we think our readers will agree with us that the Head Master has done well in adopting the tactics he has set forth . Had he come forward with a long list of
radical changes , to be made at any cost , he must have created opposition to his proposals ; as it is , he will secure all but universal approval , and we can only hope his efforts will be crowned with the success that all must desire .
We have by no means exhausted the many interesting points presented in the reports we have referred to , but as our readers have had an opportunity of perusing them in full , we do not intend to go further
into them now . There is , however , one matter that strikes us in connection with the subject . As we have said , popular clamour has been so loud in connection with the later recommendations of the
investigation Committee that many of the other points they referred to have been overlooked . All the blame of everything that was wrong has been ascribed to the Secretary and his department , and the
question now arises : How far does the experience gained during the last few months support that _ opinion * and how much better off will the Institution be when its members have got
rid of their well tried and experienced Secretary , and placed another officer in his chair ? We do not mean to imply that popular opinion was wrong in calling for the removal of Bro . Binckes .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Work Of Reform At The Boys' School.
THE WORK OF REFORM AT THE BOYS ' SCHOOL .
THE two reports recently presented by the new Head Master of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , which were given in full in our last week ' s issue , supply ample food for reflection at the
present time . We think they will go far to convince the supporters of the Institution that radical changes were necessary at the School , and that the work of reform has been started on in earnest . If we go
back to the Report of the Committee of Investigation , presented at the Quarterly Court held on the 26 th April of last year , we find it was the opinion of that Committee that
( 1 ) The School is m an unsatisfactory state as regards its management . ( 2 ) The Educational Staff is satisfactory , the teaohing good , and the Sohool'disoipline well maintained . ( 3 ) There is an antagonism between the Educational and Domestic
Staff , which seriously impairs the usefulness of the Institution . It can hardly be said that the above declarations of the Investigation Committee imply that they were wholly satisfied with the Institution itself at Wood
Green , and we must look elsewhere for the accepted opinion as to what was the state of affairs at the School , and which we think was generally regarded as being all that could be desired . The fact is , the
latter part of the Committee's report , which dealt with the Secretarial department of the Institution , and which was very strongly opposed to that department , was seized upon with such vigour as to put
other considerations somewhat in the shade . Popular clamour for the removal of the Secretary has been so loud as to distract attention from other parts of the Report equally deserving of consideration : and it
is only on reference to the Report itself that a fair view of the case can be again brought to our minds . The Provisional Committee , appointed as the outcome of the agitation of the earlv part of last year , have
proved that they at least were not led by the clamour of the multitude to overlook , as we fear many have done , the earlier recommendations of the Investigation Committee in the excitement to put in force the
later ones , and we have proof of the thorough way in which they have fulfilled their task in the action taken at Wood Green to remove the evils pointed out as existing thfirfi .
It is matter of history that the Provisional Committee set about the adoption of the first proposition of the Investigators , that
An entire change in administration , and a thorough breaking away from the present practice , must take place before the manage , raent , discipline , and expenditure of the Institution will be satisfactory .
by making a change at Wood Green . The Head Master ' s retirement was provided for , and now we have a fresh Master ruling in his stead . Some idea of the state of the School may be gathered from the concluding remarks of the present Head Master , in
The Work Of Reform At The Boys' School.
the second of the two reports he has drawn up . He says : —
There are many matters whioh I am considering , for there are many bad practices and arrangements . I am sure the Committee would prefer me to wait qnietly and improve these slowly , after I have thoroughly investigated the whole system . I make these ro . marks only to show that I am quite aware of grievous faults , snob as , amongst boys , waste at meals and of olothes : and , amongst tho
staff , waste of gas , waste of water , and waste of labour j and to say that it will take a considerable time to effect muoh change in these things . In the same way , to excite a better tone amongst the boys , to reduce the liatlessness in play and work , the fear ( whioh baa led to a general untruthfulness ) , the slovenliness of manners and
dressall this will take a long time and hard work . I do not expeot any great results for a couple of years , but I hope we shall show some improvement every month . My staff of Masters and Mistresses have worked splendidly so far , and they all seem excellent teachers and disciplinarians .
Here we have the opinion of a man who has evidently taken considerable pains to get at the true state of affairs , and he reckons on a labour of two years before any great results are to be expected
from the work of reform . This lengthy period to devote to the improvement of the School is unfavourably regarded in some quarters , but we think those who cavil at this opinion of the Plead Master , and
think that reform is possible in a few months , do not thoroughly grasp the whole state of the situation . No doubt an entire change could be wrought—in at least most of the quarters where reform is needed—in
a couple of weeks , but what would it then cost ? The subscribers to the Institution would never sanction an enormous outlay for the purpose of reconstruction , when , perhaps ; equally satisfactory results can be
brought about gradually , at little or no expense , and we think our readers will agree with us that the Head Master has done well in adopting the tactics he has set forth . Had he come forward with a long list of
radical changes , to be made at any cost , he must have created opposition to his proposals ; as it is , he will secure all but universal approval , and we can only hope his efforts will be crowned with the success that all must desire .
We have by no means exhausted the many interesting points presented in the reports we have referred to , but as our readers have had an opportunity of perusing them in full , we do not intend to go further
into them now . There is , however , one matter that strikes us in connection with the subject . As we have said , popular clamour has been so loud in connection with the later recommendations of the
investigation Committee that many of the other points they referred to have been overlooked . All the blame of everything that was wrong has been ascribed to the Secretary and his department , and the
question now arises : How far does the experience gained during the last few months support that _ opinion * and how much better off will the Institution be when its members have got
rid of their well tried and experienced Secretary , and placed another officer in his chair ? We do not mean to imply that popular opinion was wrong in calling for the removal of Bro . Binckes .