CHOICE OF SCHOOL
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR]
Sia,—At this season of the year- many parents are giving anxious thought to the choice of a school for their children and the width of choice open to them, the number and variety of schools make their task a difficult one. The parent who prefers a private school education is especially in need of some criterion by which he may test the schools he is con- sidering, some guide to help him make his decision. The public schools with their own tradition and character are known individually ; the schools controlled by the State must, it is realised, maintain a standard of efficiency, but the private schools are in a different position.
It is not, I believe, always realised that such a criterion exists, that many of these schools have sought and obtained inspection by the Board of Education and have, as a result, been enrolled on the Board's list of schools " recognised as efficient." Here is a safeguard of undeniable value, for the inspection is most thorough and concerns itself not only with the standard of work, the qualifications and status of the teachers, the nature of the curriculum, but make thorough investigation into all domestic arrangements, the suitability of the school buildings, the provision for games, physical exercises and the general amenities offered by the school.
There is naturally a wide range of choice and considerable variety among the schools so " recognised " but the mere fact of recognition by the Board of Education is a safeguard against unsatisfactory conditions and a guarantee of a high standard of efficiency. Such approval by the highest educational authority in the land should receive serious attention from the public, and especially from parents.
Absence of mechanical uniformity is one of the finest characteristics of our educational system, and it is good for all concerned that independent schools and controlled, public and private, should flourish side by side ; each has its own peculiar contribution to make to the cause of education and the contribution made by the good private school is a valuable
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