LORD BIRKENHEAD AND SCHOOLGIRLS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6321, 25 February 1922, Page 4

LORD BIRKENHEAD AND SCHOOLGIRLS.

THE DELIGHTFUL SEX

SOME POINTS BY THE HEAD MISTRESS.

LONDON, Dec. 22. A delightful speech to schoolgirls was made by Lord Birkenhead (Lord Chancellor) at a prize distribution at 'Sydenham High School. The head mistress, Miss Sanders, in her report, mentioned that marks had "been abolished all through the school, thereby gaining time and freedom and losing nothing worth keeping. The observation of each girl’s work was far more valuable than statistics.

They had arranged, in so far as lay in their power, ail early bedtime for the girls. Vitality and health so largely depended on early bedtime, and she had received so many letters of approval and relief that she could confidently rely on the parents’ help. The working days at the school were Monday. Tuesday, V ednesday, and Thursday, and those days the girls should not, be distracted by parties, journevs to town. telephoning to friends, or other amusements. (Laughter and cheers.) There were enough healthy diversions provided at the school on those days, and among them games were important. She was anxious, however, that the sense of proportion should not be lost, and that work should have its proper place.

POSSIBLE VOCATIONS FOR WOMEN.

Having presented the prizes. Lord Birkenhead gave the children a mostdelightful address. He began by offering a history prize for next year. “Unfortuately, and not as a result of any conscious choice on cur part, the world is becoming rather a serious place,” he said. • "There has been a war. I don’t know whether you little girls realise that, but I should think by the look of you that you are mostly war babies. (Laughter.) . You won’t remember much of the world, perhaps, before the war. You live m a period, which for good or bad—l am - not saying it is for good or fer bad—the delightful sex with which it has pleased Almighty God to make you members is claiming privileges and positions for itself which, for hundreds of years have been solely held by men. Any of you young ladies may choose tc clap a wig on your head——if you have passed the necessary examinations, and paid the necessary fees —and come and argue, before me in the House of Lords, and very glad indeed I shall be to see you. (Laughter.) All the professions, or almost all the professions are open to yen. 'ft would be unwise for any one of you to set before yourselves the immediate ambition of becoming an Archbishop of Canterbury, hut it is certainly true that the smallest child in this room may very easily become Lord Chancellor. (Laughter.) That may be worth bearing m mind. No man, woman, or intelligent child really knows what is going to happen to them in this new world. All the fathers listening to me will bear me out when 1 say that the anxiety of making provision that satisfies us for apy one of our children is a grave and growing one. always present in Hie minds of most of us. So every sensible gill ought to make the very most of the opportunities provided by a really good and scientific school'. \\ hatevor your special subject is, take a great de..l of trouble with it. While 1 recommend you to be serious, I do not recommend you to be too serious. I am strongly in agreement with Miss Sander’s advice that you should go to Led eaily. I, myself, am never out of bed after 2.30 in the morning. (Laughter.) I entirely agree also v with Aliss Sanders that on the four clays indicated ’ there certainly should not be any telephoning and going up to town, while parties are most unsettling. (Laughter.) A girl who thinks of going to a party or to London on any but the proper day should almost bo turned out ol’ the school. Mv advice to Miss'Sanders is to be very stern on this, and have no nonsense about it.” (Renewed laughter.) “I have a young relative in this school, who seems to he keeping the old flag flying. She has covered herself with more distinctions than I ever did, but then, in my young days we had not the excellent custom cf avoiding distractions on four days of the week. 1 have not the slightest doubt that that was what demoralised me and prevented me from giving much promise of being of use. (LaughTor.) ‘‘lf the world is full of sadness.’* the Lord Chancellor concluded, “that )s net* the slightest reason why your life should not be full of gladness.” (Cheers.)