PENDEAGON'S NOTES.

Oxford Observer, Volume 81, Issue 81, 13 June 1891, Page 3

PENDEAGON'S NOTES.

Written expressly for the "Observer."

In an account of the East Oxford School Committee meeting, published m your paper last week, I see that a resolution was proposed, "that the school should open at half-past nine instead of nine o'clock." But this resolution was defeated by .an amendment " that the school'hours remain as they are." Both the resolution and the amendment can be supported by strong arguments which are unnecessary to be repeated here. As a matter of fact the syllabus is so arranged that parents can send their children eitherat nine o'clock or half an hour later and suffer little or no loss, nor cause scarcely a perceptible . interruption to the teacher. The first study on the syllabus is arithmetic ; the time allotted one hour, and as this goes, on m an uninterrupted manner every day of the week, and every week of the year/ . besides : various other half- hours thrown m during the week for. the same study, one may fairly assume that m the course of eight or nine years, even if the child does not reach school till half-past nine, it will understand the very elementary arithmetic imparted by the pedagogue.- There should however be a distinct understanding between parents and the Committee as. to which hour their children willarrive, and the school should be open for admission at nine and again at half-past ; no admission m the int^im. The law enforces attendance' Tor four hours a day ■ and people living at a distance have only themselves to thank if they rise at some ungodly hour to get their little ones off to school m the perishing cold; and with only a snatch of a breakfast. I wonder who invented the' idea of increasing the East Oxford infant schoolroom ? ; .. The cost, will come out of the public funds, so of course it does not matter. Not m the least. Nevertheless, had the classes been re-arranged as Mr Meredith pointed out, the accommodation would have been ample. I wonder how many children on an average attend m the big room ? It is cheering to hear that a petition m the shape of a rouni-robin to the chief post master is to be got up at the W. M. C. asking him to reconsider his decision as to an evening delivery of letters.

So many attendants at St Andrews Church, East Oxford, were delighted to see pur local "Tenor" back m the choir again. By the way, which young lady m that choir was it that I could hear as far off as Mr Wilson Fisher's bush last Sunday morning? I was taking my usual sabbath commune with myself and child m that beautiful bnsh, admiring nature and rejoicing m. the lovely scenery, with joy not undim-

inislied from the fact, that somebody else had the privilege of paying the rates for it, when hearing an upper notel enquired of my child what itwas. " Only Miss topping the choir." This young lady should remember that St Andrews Church is not so large as St Paul's Cathedral. Is it not rather a nerve of the East Oxford School Committee to expect the Svpcrinten>hnt of the Sunday School to be responsible, for any. damage done whilst that School is being held m the state building? The . Committee are quite right to hold some one responsible but tha,t;.s.o.me;one;Bhonldbethe Vestry. If the Church. of England' ia to be fed with a supply of .mombers from the Sunday School, ; then it is clearly the duty of the vestry to take all responsibility m the matter of the Sunday School wherever it is held. If I were the superintendent, I would see the Committee m Hong-Kong before I would: become resppnuble for a cent. Talking about the St Andrews Veatry they have.for years allowed too much money to be given to the Curate and starved the accessories of the service. I am quite 1 confident that if the stipends were £iSO and a £10 aote given each to the choir master and organist, and two £10 notes spent on the choir, the. service would be very much more what it ought to be. I am glad to see that the Licensing Committee has acted with common sense m re-nev/ing the three licenses ; and the members of the Koad Board have acted wiuh discretion m the choice of their leader. John may not be an angel, but I like him, and there is nothing of the two-penny half-penny business about him. Beyond that he is far. away the best all round public man m this district. . : All will commend Mr Luers' polite and sensible reply to Mr Prichard's profane proposition that his child and another should perform at the organ at St Mary's, West Oxford; during divine service. It is .well for a girl tQ learn the organ, but practicing whilst the congregation is praising God is a piece of perilous profanation that must lead to perdition and is truly terrible to contemplate.;