GRAMMAR SCHOOL BOARDERS

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 304, 20 December 1912, Page 4

GRAMMAR SCHOOL BOARDERS

1 I : Tie proposal to set up a boarding ' \ department in connection with the new Grammar School buildings on the Mt. j Eden Reserve is one that will probably commend itself to the general public as • well as to the Grammar School Board. ', I Considerably over a hundred boys homes are in the country are now in attendance at the Grammar School, and it is an obvious disadvantage for pupils in this position to be compelled to board j in ordinary "apartment' , houses, where iher have no facilities for preparation work in the evening, and no disciplinary ' supervision of any kind. From the point j of view of the country pupils, it seems j a boarding-house is a necessary annexe : to the Grammar School. But we hope that the Grammar School Board will treat the question strictly from the educational ' standpoint, and will confine itself to providing simple and economical acconunodation for the pupils who really need it. On no account, it seems to us, should boys living in town be allowed to board at" the school. To adopt this course would tend to produce at the Grammar School one of the most unfortunate features of public school life elsewhere —the establ.ohtnent oi a clear social distine tion between "day boye" and "boarders." | It ie altogether undesirable thit such | tendencies should be encouraged; and , recognising this as one of the almost inevitable consequences of a boarding es- \ tabiishment at a secondary school, we' . ho-nc that every effort will be made to guard against it. Further, if a board-ing-hous* is to justify ite existence, in j I fhe int-erette of the Grammar School it ! is neceesary that it should not be | : limitfd to the children of comparatively , , wealthy parents. The boarding fees | should be fixed at such a figure as to , allo» even comparatively poor families :to take advantage of their benefits. j Under such conditions, a boarding-house I j will naturally fulfil an important func- ! I tion in connection with the Grammar j School. But anything like exelueivenese, .or ajiything in the nature of an attempt ' Ito discriminate socially between "day i I boys"' and boarders would militate seri- | I ouisly against tin? welfare of the school,: i and we rruet that adequate precautions I will be taken against theee dacgers acI cordingly.