SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL REFORM.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 15

SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL REFORM.

; ■ V '■:+*. (FEOM OTTB OWN qOBBESTONDENT.) . LONDON, March 3. Di; David (headmaster oi RugbyV, speaking on "Oxford, Social JReform, and Bermondsey," said:— No "old fogey", can know what is going on in the minds'of tho iyoung men' at Oxford; There was a whole flood of new life directed outwards during the past six years on the Bimple taak of winning * the war, but now spreading itself over bur great coni" cernS'&t -home'. These young men are : talking and thinking hard on subjects which did not trouble us in the days when X was "Up." Some people do not like that; they think it is precious and unhealthy, and soy, "Let them learn their grammar and plqy their games; we want boys to bo boys." Well' soj do I—all their lives long, if and if those young people chose to be I interested in subjects which normally . are reserved for fathers and uncles, I do hot want to damp theiif ardour. 7 want to guide them along their chosen lines of interest. (Cheers.) Tho ybung men are fastening on great problems. They believe they can be-solved; that is good; They believe they can solve them; that is better. (Cheers.) Socialists seem to think, too much of the end und too little of the means. Whatever the end to which we aro tending i in the country through Socialist reform, J there is one condition essential to our making any progress at all, nnd that I believe' the youth of Oxford has firmly grasped. 'We cannot make any pro-

gross-at all until tho classes. cboM* closer together. I commend too jmw settlem'ont idea as expressed' ill'thft Oxford and Bermohdsej, Clubft whom there is a distinctive policy. Toer© «ra four boys' cluba-at jDermondseTi with a total membership- of '4OO, M»d on« - men's club; with 900, aa that they jm teaching 1300 livts at the tbne, Tw» clubs arc managed mainly by. Bermooaseymen and Bermondsey boy a. and .«* though young men coino down'lrem' Oxford to take a hand in thefcoßliew, they are always! deliberfttelj' pat -111 subordinate jK»ta-*, Batlkl v HI(M" coming down and- working under » Bermondsey boy. That work tit a In* ! piece of young men's work. In hetmondsey thoro arostreets marked Mack ' on Booth'* mop. Can any mod «om» ~ out of these dark places? Yott know it did at Mom, at Ypres, and on to* ■ ~yj . ■■ '■;; ■■_"'■ ' , •' *