Country Schools
The British Association, in a joint session of its Educa- tion and Agricultural sections, on Tuesday, heard an excellent discussion upon rural education as it might be, and as, in the best eases, it is. Sir John Russell, of Rothamsted, Mr. H.. Morris, the progressive Director of Education for Cambridgeshire, Professor Combes, of Leeds, and Sir Arnold Wilson, M.P., took part ; but one of the most,striking contributions was that of Mr. G. W. .Pierce, headmaster of a remote village school in Hamp- shire, The idea of relating village education to village life,. and making . the school something more than a bridge leading • to the tower, has been worked on for thirty years. In the best cases its realisation has gone far? the two most helpful adjuncts being, as Sir John Russell said, the school .garden and the school survey. In Suffolk the school gardens grow into estates of six or seven acres. Two dangers need to be guarded against in this movement. One is that of pitching standards so high that only exceptional places can copy them. The other (less immediate) is that of closing town careers to country children for whom they would be more specially suited. * * * *
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