MILITARY TRAINING IN SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12444, 6 March 1906, Page 8

MILITARY TRAINING IN SCHOOLS.

LORD ROBERTS'S VIEWS.;/ ', .At the recent annual general meeting of the Incorporated. Association of. Assistant Masters in ' Secondary ? Schools, held at St. Paul's' School, West' Kensington, in January,, Lord Roberta'delivered an address, on-military training in schools. • In. the course'of'his remarks he-said:—The movement for "the establishment of cadet corps in English schools had had its ups and downs since it was started in' 1860. They should now aim at discouraging spasmodic outbursts and establishing in.tho minds of Englishmen once for all the - absolute necessity of adopting military, training in our "schools as the only .possible w _y of avoiding a lengthened period- at. a more critical age;, if not conscription, and at the same time: of enabling the country to meet the situation created by the arming of the whole niahKpopulation of continental nations. If schoolmasters would only strive to'establish in the minds of their pupils that it was incumbent upon them as members;of a great Empire to undergo • military training, and that to fit themselves for the defence of their country was a work as noble as it was useful,:tho idea would take root and bear fruit, and the .value of it could not be over-eeti- ' mated. He saw •no reason why miniature rifle shooting should not be made one.of the school pastimes, for of its utility there could be no doubt. He fully agreed with the .resolution passed at (the recent conference of headmasters in favour of boys in public schools over fifteen yearn of age, and capable' of bearing arms, being passed through a course of instruction in tho elements of drill, and the theory and practice of the use of the rifle,. before leaving school. ' But he- went further. Ho wished to ice boys taught'to shoot at miniature ranges-; at a much- earlier age than fifteen. He was glad to learn that many preparatory schools had •taken up the subject, and considered that ten years was by no means too early an age for boys to begin to learn to shoot. The time had come .when the Government ought to recognise the value of military training in schools, and it should give, liberally towards the cost. Tho great objection to military training and rifle shooting in-schools was the amount of time that they took up., In these circumstances it occurred to him to ask whether it would not be better to devote the whole time spent on acquiring classical knowledge, which at the best was a doubtful help in after life"to_the individual and none, whatever to the State, to training the schoolboy'fi body and intelligence by- military training, and tho study of modern history, science, and geography, and strengthening his moral character by habits of discipline and obedience,. thus fitting him to boa more useful member of society in after life, and enabling him to bo of practical service if called upon to defend the country.