EDUCATION IN THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 5

EDUCATION IN THE EMPIRE.

EXCHANGE OF'tEACHERS,

AN INTERESTING BEGINNING. At a meeting of the governing'body of Christ's College last week, tho Governors approved tho:'. system. ..of eichango of masters submitted to ■ them by tho headmaster , E. A) Belcher).', Tho system will accordingly como. into operation immediately. Tho .first "seconded" master is Mr. Lutton Carter, who will arrivo in •New, Zealand in May.next. Mr. . Lutton Carter', M.A. -(Cambridge),'.who. has been an assistant master .'at Clifton'for tho past fourteen years, is a Scholar of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and a famous old Combridgo "Dluo." ,Hfl was president of the Cambridge University Athletic Club 'in 1896. The system is reciprocal, and ono of tho/New Zealand members of tho Christ's College staff will bo "seconded" Home to join the'staff either of Clifton or Kugby. ' i •■' ■' In-an.interview printed in the "Press" Mr. Belcher said:—"The whole credit of tho scheme belongs to Mr. E. B. Sargant, M.A. .(Rugby and Trinity, Cambridge), who was education adriser to Lord Milner in South Africa during the days of reconstruction -immediately after tho war. It was on April 23, 1905, that Mr. Sargant first propounded, in a letter to 'The Times'' (London), his scheme- for Colonial Public Schools' Extension. He based his. ideals on the work of the Jesuits, and asked .whether it was-.,pos-sible for great English foundations-to bo inspired with the same missionary enthusiasm and zeal -to found educational settlements in .the different British Do''minions, definitely linked with the mother school in; tho Old Country. The scheme, -was a very"anibitious oiie; and involved a fresh foundation in the colonies on the same lines as'the Behedictino monasteries, by which, for example, a great English school, like' Winchester ;should found a. fresh (Winchester in Canada, or South: Africa, or Australia, which, should bo .financed by Winchester, staffed in the initial'stages by 'Winchester . mcn,;an,d should have, at oil events, at least a pro--portion!of actual Winchester boys. It was contended that .the English public school system Was tho .finest in the world, that it was quite possible to transplant the best traditions of English public school life to a British colony, .and .that, with''.-.due regard' to local conditions' and needs) it was desirable and possible to creato in every; colony in the Empire a system, of, public-school education which would never vary from the parent English school except . as ■ colonial - conditions might'demandi; -~ ,'. :.'■'" ' i, 1 "We have our Imperial War Staff com-posed-of the picked'military brains of the Empire,- and it is a fine' thing for defence. If Mr. Sargant's'scheme can be realised we shall- have our Imperial Peace Staff; composed of the picked educational brains of the Empire. ' Hundreds of:Rugbyand Clifton boys of the future will learn of New Zealand from the-lips' of men who have 'seen it. The Southern Alps-will '.cease to be o geography lesson. They will become ■ a living reality from men who have climbed tnem. All the varied interests of a country, whose ex- . perimental legislation-has long aroused the" attention of: thinking ' nien and women, will be'safe in the hands of men who;can study- these questions on, the spot. Similarly future generations of ;New Zealand boys- will 'see England, not only through the eyes of 'seconded' English schoolmasters—that in itself is valuable—but also through the eyes of New Zealariders who will have spent one or two years in studying England and correcting ~ the. hastier impressions of a hurried-trip. ' -I Jtnow of ndthing ■ which 'will widen the ;intellectual outlook or .'broaden the sympathies of men and, boys .'more tlfan/this. -. "'-.'■■'•-,

7 "Mr. SargantV scheme attracted a great, deal of atten(jtoiuand<;enlisted the symoathetic Hu'mbcr of distinguished men. It was ■ actually proposed tliafc Winchester should start a foundationiin the Orange Eiver Colony,

and it was hoped that other colonics might bo cnr-uiarkcd i'or other public schools. .Etou, wo might suppose,-might take jCniuda, Harrow another colony, ltugby another, and bo forth. "As soon as I' was appointed headmaster of Christ's College, we saw an opportunity of putting our beliefs to a practical test, and' wo .formed on English committee. ■ Tho chairman, is the bishop of Southwark (Dr. Burge), and the members Dr. David (headmaster of ltugby), Di. King (headmaster of Clifton), Mr. Costley-Whito (headmaster of Bradfield), Dr. Parkin (secretary of tho lthodes Trust), Sir Ilnrry Wilson, Mr. Sargant, and an old Christ's College boy in tho person of Mr. L. 11. Greenwood, Fellow, 'and classical tutor of 'Emmanuel. College, •Cambridge. Tho business of this committee will bo to' select ■■ public schoolmasters in England who wul como out to Christ's College for periods of from ono to two years, and similarly to place members of the.Christ's College staff in English public schools. It-is desirable at the outset that colonial public schools should bo definitely linked up with only one, or at most two, oftno English public schools, and tho present idea is that Christ's Collego should bo linked with ltugby and Clifton;' but: there is no special patent in the scheme, and there is nothing that I should welcome more than that every colonial'public school, in this Dominion, and in other parts of the Empire, should adopt tho scheme and become linked with other English public schools. I am quite suro that the English committee would welcome ariplicaj tions- from the headmaster's of other schools to become so linked."