Commemoration, 1956

I.C.I. TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS.

The announcement by Imperial Chemical Industries, in March last, of their proposals for what are styled Transfer Scholarships to the Universities gives food for thought. Briefly, the intention of I.C.I. is to finance suitable candidates who have specialised at school in Arts subjects during a preliminary year at the University which would enable them to embark on an honours course in Science. These I.C.I. scholarships, for which the co-operation of five Universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, has been arranged, will be available for award in the year 1956-57. The effect of them is, of course, twofold. The boy who has shown a preference for Classics, or Modern Languages, or English subjects at school is no longer ipso facto debarred from a career in the world of Science, while, as a Science graduate, he would face life with a more broadlybased education. The scheme is attractive and should appeal to many of our boys. Full particulars of the scholarships are, of course, available in the School.

It is interesting to speculate on the motives which have actuated I.C.I. It is, we believe, far from the whole truth to look upon the new transfer scholarships as merely another device to wean boys from Arts to Science and to feed the insatiable man of Progress with more scientists and technicians. The clue, we think, is to be found in the sentiments voiced by Sir Alexander Fleck, I.C.I.'s Chairman, when he opened our Science Exhibition a little over a year ago. He urged then that 'what industry needed today was educated men and not minds overburdened with the dead-weight of unrelated facts'. What was wrong with formal education, he contended, was that it was not liberal enough. Our own comment on Sir Alexander's observations, in our Editorial of May, 1955, was that 'perhaps the remedy lies in the prolongation of the period of formal education by an additional University year'. The proposed scholarships show that this is now the view of I.C.I.

It would seem then that I.C.I. have concluded that 'Science is not enough'. We agree most heartily.

COMMEMORATION

The programme will be as follows :- WEDNESDAY, 25TH JULY.

Junior School Speech Day and Distribution of Prizes by Sir Lumley Dodsworth.

FRIDAY, 27TH JULY.

Cricket Match, School v. Old Peterites, begins.

O.P. Club General Meeting.

Concert in Big Hall (evening).