SEAMEN IN THE MAKING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 254, 26 October 1937, Page 3

SEAMEN IN THE MAKING

‘‘Town” of 800 Boys

r piIERE can be no educaLonal establishment in the country bcl'«< sited or planned, or une which provides more amenities for its pupils, than the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook, fSuffolk, writes “ Ta lira i I,” in the London Observer. It wa*; started in 1712 as an adjunct lo Greenwich Hospital, founded eighteen years earlier for seamen broken in the wars. ISince 1569 pen sions have been granted to disabled seamen and marines instead of main tc-nance and accommodation, and in 1573 the old hospital buildings were allotted to the Royal Naval College. The school, however, for the free edu' cation of the sons of seamen, marines and other seafarers, continued, and in 1933 moved from Greenwich to its pre sent quarters at Holbrook. With eleven houses for the 860 boys, houses for the officers, masters and stall’, a chapel, administrative offices, assembly hall, a 200 foot central tower which contains the water supply tanks for the whole establishment, swimming bath, gymnasium, classrooms, laboratories, manual workshop, laundry, infir mary, dining hall and kitchens, it is something more than a vil'age—almost n small town with many imposing, bui’d ings, a home farm, roadways, a parade ground and extensive playing fields. Tl:-‘ chapel and assembly hall, with its pm perlv fitted stage, can only he described as magnificent. Tho gvmnasium and in door swimming hath are tho Lu”gost ' have seen. Of the 253 lads who left during J !>;’.(• at the age of about fifteen and a hall, twenty-seven the pick of the bunch, joined the Mechanical Training Establishment at (’hatham as artificer apprentices R.N. after passing the stringent examination Another 115, of whom fifty-four were in the “Advanced Class,” joined the naval trailing establishments as seamen boys; ten went to the Royal Marines; and seven became R.A.F. apprentices, the standard for height for that. Service being slightly lower than for the Navy. Of (he seven ty-six discharged as medically unfit for the Royal Navy, thirty-three joined tho Merchant Navy, fourteen were found work in civil life, ami twenty-nine were returned to their homos at the request of their parents. Tn other words. 60 per cent. ®f the boys leaving the school during the year entered the Roval Navy or Royal Marines, and 57

per cent, of these were definitely auuvt Hie average in education and intelligence, a result for which the teaching 'tall al Hulbrook deserve congratulation. The school 's run under a form of navai discipline modified to suit the young, ami the education and mining are essentially practical. Elementary -seamanship and signalling, handicrafts and metal work are taught besides the usual school subjects, while the excellent school band 's known all over the neighbourhood. The food would put many a public school in shame. The boys work hard and piny hard. Physical training, swimming, ami games are specialities, and the results certainly justify all tho troub’e taken by the instructors. Among other things. Holbrook is the best ewimmmg school in l-'ngla nd. The boys are as tough as leather, bursting with rude health and good spirits and as noisy as can be when out nf school. There is no harshness and I partieularlv noticed that the officers and masb-rs knew most of t’l lads by name and reputation, no mean task with an e'er changing mob of The clothing is eminently suitable—blue jerseys and shorts on week-days, with stocking'-* with a different c<»l<»;rcd stripe denoting each house, mid Ibe addition of a coloured “flash” to the garter for petty officer bovs. Ou SunlavB the whn’e school turn B nut in the traditional bluejackets’ uniform. Hi® pot tv oflicor boy B wearing Hie s1o"-t, l.lno, brass buttoned jackets w!’ :,, h fmiL >v disappeared from the Navy in I*-''!. I visited classrooms, workshops, lat ouitories, dormitories, dining-hall, Kitchens—nearly every b-.iihling in Ihe school. I saw boys at work and at play and eating their midday d.liners and heard the whole 860 of them singing together in the assembly hall. I have visited many schools and educational establishments in this country and abroad, but never have I seen a keener or more contented-looking crowd of voungsters, or lads that are better cared for or more likely to make good seamen and good citizens. The Holbrook boys are proud of themselves, ami have every reason to bp. The zest, cheerfulness, ami bustling energy of the whole establishment is n veritable tonic to any visitor, and a credit to those r** sponsible.