MODERN NEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 83, 9 April 1931, Page 4

MODERN NEEDS

*"■ SANDHURST REFORMS

ARMY AS -A CAREER

.. Sweeping changes in the curriculum at the college brought about by the new attitude of parents and boys towards the Army, were described by Colonel Tollemaehe, of Sandhurst, when he addressed the English Headmasters' Conference at Cheltenham, says the "Morning Post." After outlining the way In which the Sandhurst syllabus had been broadened and modernised to meet present conditions, Colonel Tollemaehe said: "A year ago a headmaster said to me, 'I only advise boys who would be quite impossible in any other walk of life to go to Sandhurst.' "All this is changed, and we aae becoming a little better now. Except in the cases of boys who actually prove educationally deficient, we believe that among the boys who bow leave Sandhurst there will be very few who will not be of the type we desire both in military and civil life. "Some time ago we found that the Army was losing popularity with tho boy himself, Who was told that the pay was small and that his brains would not increase his pay. • • ■ : - "All the conversation around him dealt with commerce, stocks and shares, and quick riches. We discovered that the old adventure of! the Army was being rather busted by the modern adventure q£ commerce. It was realised that if the Army was to be made attractive to the boy we must give an education at Sandhurst■ which is not merely'specialised,'but is of the best possible- general nature. "Warfare was becoming more and more complicated, requiring brains and ability on the part of the officers, .and we found that we had to build up the brains and personalities of the officers from the very beginning. We realised that in the Great 'War some of the greatest' mistakes of. officers were made in their dealings with- civilians, and in. their lack of knowledge of civilians, and we realised that a great war needed broadmrndedness on the part of. its leaders.: ' ■ "The old regime at, Sandhurst aimed at turning out purely military specialists, and thia was.not what the Army or the public wanted. The curriculum which was going on undoubtedly deadened a boy's intellect, and- led. his thoughts into Barrow channels. "The Sandhurst curriculum had to be drastically overhauled, and in the new curriculum, we now try to ..give a boy the power of self development." Colonel Tollemaehe outlined the changes which had been made in the sllabus which, he said, had now been widened to allow of this self-develop-ment, and' the narrow military education had been broadened.. Referring to the general impression that the Army was not. a .prof essiort worth going into from the. monetary point of-view, he contended that there were many plums to be gained both in, and by means of, the Army.- "Naturally," he added, "these plums are not to be had for the asking. They have to be earned. There is an impression that boys w.ith brains are wasted in the Army, but I hope you will do all you can to dispel th.at unfortunate idea."