The Otago Witness

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 43

The Otago Witness

organisation which is already doing something in a quiet way for the fostering of fibe Imperial spirit, which is the aim and object of all decent people in the Empire to-d»y. - * The Imperial Borne Scheme, of which the arch-imperialist, the Earl of Meath, is Patron, was founded in 1903 by Miss A. Stratford-Cox, with tihe idea of strengthening the Imperial tie through the boys and girlsr schools of England. To encourage

parents in the oversea States to send their children to England and to English schools on the Continent, a number of these institutions have agreed to offer scholarships, equivalent generally to 50 per cent, of the school fees for British-born boys and girls oversea. There will be no distinction of creed and no competitive examination, the only qualification being good health and good conduct.

"When schools all over Great Britain adopt this scheme, colonial parents may select those in their native towns, where possibly relations or friends could make the necessary inquiries for them. In such oases they would be sending their children baok to strengthen the ties of relationship and the bonds of friendship. Indeed, the social side of the scheme is no less important than the educational. A3 it is hoped that all schools in Great Britain, as

well as every university college, will eventually co-operate in the scheme, the committee cannot hold itself responsible to parents or principals, and the usual references must be exchanged to ensure suitable schools and candidates." At the present moment there are 50 of these scholarships vacant, of which about one-third are in English schools on the Continent.

Writing to me of the scheme Miss Strat-ford-Cox says:— "My aim is to induce every school in Great Britain, public as well as private, and finally every college at the universities, each to offer one scholarship—worth 50 per cent, of the usual fees — to an oversea Bricon. By this means wo should have a constant 6tream of thousands of these young people coining Home, not for a good education, for I am well aware that that is provided in their respective

lands, but to bring us all together and to keep the race in touch, so that we may learn to understand each other better. Later on an exchange might be made, English boys— especially those with business careers before them — spending a couple of years in some other part of the Empire resulting in their knowledge of the needs, tastes, and ambitions of that particular part being of value to them- latex on in

business. When we lhave schools all over Great Britain co-operating, my idea is that oversea parents will select good schools, when possible, in the towns from which they or their ancestors originally came, and where relations or friends may still be. In this way old bonds would be strengthened and new links forged with the Old Country. Private families might co-operate by offering to board each an oversea pupil during the holidays, in oases where the latter have

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1909.

no friends or relations. This would «ts the young people a most valuable insight mto English home life. I should like to explain that the scheme is worked from Germany only because my calling keeps mo in a foreign land. Ton will find the name of our English school among others at the foot of the list (Roedean School, Brighton). It was here that the scheme was started in practice, and we have had

oversea pupils under the terms of the scheme ever since 1903. Candidates far the scholarships in one sohool have entered their names up to September, 1912, so the scheme is gradually becoming known. The Tatoes of the scholarships are all expressed in terms of a percentage of the ordinary fees, most of them being, as already said, worth 50 per cent., so that some schools are offering a reduction of as much as £50, £60, and up to £75."