MODERN BOY
HEADMASTER’S DEFENCE. CHRISTCHURCH, October 18. A spirited defence of the modern schoolouy was made by -Ur R. J. Richards, headmaster of Christ’s G'otlege, during his address at the annual reunion dinner of the Old Boys Association. A month or two ago, said 'Mr Ridhards," an English headmaster was reported as having said some hard things about tb-e English schoolboy. It might be thought that in New Zealand this did not matter much, but prompted by his experience of the English schoolboy, h'l felt that he would like to' ’’dbrrect yin at might cause a. wrong impression. That particular headmaster had sad that the modern schoolboy was a peacock, afraid to go along by himself, afraid of pain, dishonest, and a coward.
“I would tike to say that ih my experience I haVe found this utterly untrue,” said -Mr Richards. “I found the English schoolboy patient in adversity to a degree—one could almost say too patient. Time and again I hav e been astonished at tlhe way in which, in an apparently hopeless .situation, he would keep doggedly on, and I have been astonished t 0 see how often he would make good.” In the past few months he had often been a -ked how New Zealand a d English schoolboys compared. He <vas unable to see ,vei;y much difference. ‘‘Boys of our race are the .same the whole world over,” Mr Richards continued. “Both have prodigious appetites, and in this direction I have been filled with admiration at what they can do. They both have the sam e sense of humour. I fountP myse'-f that the atmosphere of an- English School was very familiar, and I found no difficulty in settling down. New Zealand boys, and we had a few of them, also very soon settled down, and were quite indistinguishable from English boys.” , A comparison of sdliool life in Eng-] land and New Zealand was more d'ffi; cult- to make. In some ways Englih schools were in a much better position than New Zealand schools, but in other ways New Zealand . schools yielded to none, particularly in the loyalty of their old boys’ associations. People in England were astonished that a Christ’s College old boys’ dinner was held yearly in London. “I have fouhd this association a mountain df comfort,” - concluded Mr Richards.
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Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1932, Page 3
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386MODERN BOY Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1932, Page 3
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