THE PETERITE Vol. LX
JUNE, 1969
No. 380
EDITORIAL Not many of the words that flow so freely at Speech Days are long remembered; and it is perhaps strange that among the few memorable remarks there are two which were delivered several years ago in what was less a speech than a jumble of apparently spontaneous and often unconnected utterances. The first remark was more or less in these words: "If this school had been badly hit by bombs during the war, it could have continued in tents, and it would have been its duty to try". The words have come back from time to time as new buildings have been contemplated or completed, and as new equipment, from simple things like desks to complex things like projectors, has been brought in to make learning and leisure more comfortable and more sophisticated. Of course, expansion and improvement are essential, and it is pleasing that an independent school is able to enjoy them; but if we were to find ourselves reduced to tents for a while, what might be the effect? Tidiness would become second nature for our own comfort; as a community we could not tolerate litter; we would have consideration for the property of others if only to safeguard our own. Left with a minimum of "public" equipment, there is little doubt that we would treat it with great respect; there would be few inanities scrawled on the desks and few holes in upholstery, except those that dated back to the days of opulence. Fortunately we do not have to expect to move into tents, but our speaker of many years ago, in paying a compliment to the School, left us with a sobering thought. His second memorable remark seemed at the time to be no more than a statement, and to have nothing of prophecy about it: "Schools should be run by schoolmasters". But the enormous growth of "student power" begins to move towards the secondary schools, and our speaker's words now have significance. This is not the place for discussion of new attitudes; but that new attitudes are developing it would be foolish to deny. It is difficult to see that schools can be run other than by schoolmasters, because schools are concerned with teaching; it is, however, important that considered points of view should continue to have a hearing, and that no school should allow "Out, Out!" and shouting down to be its substitute for discussion. Civilised consideration for people and property will go a long way in keeping a community progressive and happy. 1
