CHRIST'S COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 9, 12 January 1932, Page 10

CHRIST'S COLLEGE

NEW PRINCIPAL

MR. R. RICHARDS ARRIVES

ENGLISH PUBLIC SCHOOL

The new principal of Christ's College, Christchurch, Mr. R. Richards, arrived at Wellington from Homo by the Tainui to-day, accompanied by Mrs. Kichards and their young daughter and son. Mr. Kichards will succeed ,the Rev. E. C. Crosses, who recently resigned for health reasons. In an interview with a "Post' J reporter, Mr. Richards, who is a comparatively young man with a forceful personality, said lie was looking forward very eagerly to returning to Christ's College, of whic*i he was an old boy, having left nineteen years ago. Since he left New Zealand for the Great War in 1917 he had boen back to the Dominion only once, on his honeymoon five years ago, when he came out primarily to visit his parents, his father being Bishop Richards, of Dunedin. Ho had also paid a brief visit to his old school. After the war Mr. Richards went to Clifton College, Bristol, as, an assistant master, and ho remained there until receiving notice of his appointment to Christ's College. "So far as the economic conditions are reflected in the public schools of England, the schools have not been very much affected as yet," remarked Mr. Richards, "but there wore indications beforo I left that the economic situationwwass s going to affect tliem after Christmas, to a certain extent. At Clifton we ivero "practically full, ana so were many others, but there were- indications that many parents would bo obliged to withdraw their boys during the coming twelve months. Actually in Bristol we did not sec so much in the way of unemployment becauso.Bristol is a city that has its fairly regular industries, tobacco, chocolate, and so on." Asked to comment, on the general position at Home, Mr. Richards contented himself by saying "it is pretty bad." Since tho war the English public schools' had been, taxed to their limits by the number of pupils offering. Clifton had had more than ever before, and many of the other schools were in tho same position. In two years, |ii& Mr. Richards, he was to, have become^ a house master at Clifton, an onerous position in a big public school. There was a big difference between the public schools of England and those m New Zealand, Mr. Richards continued. What was called a public school in New Zealand would be known as a board school in England. The average public school at Home was like say Wellington College, so that any comparison should be confined to secondary education. _ "There is a tremendous lot about tho English public school to be admired " Mr. Richards said, "but I think they over-specialise in particular subjects. English boys becomo specialised too soon. It is not the fault of the schools, but of the universities, which demand for their scholarships such advanced knowledge. It is not tho same as in New Zealand, where the examinations are on a number of subjects. A candidate probably be examined fairly closely on one subject, and have pernaps one general paper to answer. The results, in some cases, are unsatisfactory. You get, for instance, tho boy who is doing science, and who specialises sc much in that that ho goes to tho university lacking general culture. Your university dons, in-private conversation, will deplore the lack of general culture in-their scholarship candidates, and vet when it comes to the examinations, they will set questions only suited for a man doing a science degree. FULL AND ACTIVE LIFE. in"th herT?" is >wcver> much to afcnire *U^ UgllSh P, Ublic school Thfwr °7S work- v<*y at school, awtL ls * ve7-.active and full life, and the old traditions of sportsmanship keen " competition in life is B0 to. look out for themselves. " THE OLD TRADITIONS traditions o f Eis^fcoVge,'' * M? Richards concluded -air. M r Mr MBi| laif s ™s-met on arrival by Air. M. E. Denmston, .New 7.pal**A president of Christ VCollegeOlfS Association, and Mr A P "L-130^