[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
Srn,—We have many of us, no doubt, been struck by the article in the Spectator of November 12th dealing with the doctor's statement in the Times as to the health of the boys in our public schools. The writer implies, what probably is the opinion of most of the readers of the Times, that there must be exaggeration in the doctor's statements. But I do not see why. As far as one can gather, the writer of the article in the Times finds—out of a hundred average English public-school boys—about twenty who are perfectly healthy. I do not think that this percentage is surprisingly low when we look at the parents of whom these boys are the offspring. I should imagine that if a doctor carefully examined a hundred average English parents of the upper and upper- middle classes he would not find even twenty perfectly healthy persons among the number. The doctor's statement may not he surprising, and yet it may well be most alarming; and the more alarming the better, if the alarm created awakens any -conscience in the remaining eighty unhealthy ones of my supposititious hundred. Perfect health is as exceptional as perfect morality, and as desirable. Equally are they standards -which all should strive to reach, and until we begin to realise this we can scarcely be surprised that the unhealthy marry and produce unhealthy offspring. To say two words of criticism on another point in the Spectator article, I believe that it is most decidedly unusual to find an English prepara- tory school of any standing where the boys are not fed far more sensibly and wholesomely than in either their homes or the public schools; while as for the work and the "games," the examination system is entirely responsible for any tendency to overdoing the former, and our English reverence or athleticism for overdoing the latter.—I am, Sir, ■Szc.,
ENNIS RICHMOND.
Previous page
