School Notes

that enables him to provide good education; that is, the freedom of movement he enjoys in a school of the type he has chosen to be in.

Independent school teachers have no claim to dedication; most of them would find the word embarrassing. Dedicated teachers are found everywhere. It is, however, likely that if you force the independent school teacher into a state system which rightly or wrongly he has not chosen to be in, he may no longer produce his best. He may even soon become unduly conscious of his hours and conditions of work, and it is almost certain that from among such teachers there would emerge some formidable shop stewards.

The outcome need not be a positive lowering of teaching quality; but it is unlikely to be a raising of that quality for all; thus it will have achieved no good, and could even have caused harm.

The planners of the new Jerusalem have usually hoped to build through education. Like so many planners, they seem easily to forget that education is a personal process; you can make a child learn a few things, but you cannot make him think. Nobody really knows how a child learns to think; what is certain is that it isn't done by legislation or by plans. Perhaps the planners should look first at the foundations of the new Jerusalem, and they may find that the strongest ingredients of a human foundation are still the family, the home, and love. From this it would follow that in a free society parents may wish to express their love through sacrifice so that they can provide for their children what seems to them the best in education. They will pay fees as long as they know they are paying for what is good; the fee-paying school that is less than good will sooner or later destroy itself without any action from a government, because sooner or later it will find no takers.

With the best intentions you may plan to build Jerusalem, and find that by some error in the plans or by a weakness in the foundations you have instead built Jericho, where the walls came tumbling down at the blast of a trumpet.

The Editor wishes to thank the many contributors to The Peterite and would welcome correspondence and articles of general interest from Peterites past and present.

At the end of next Summer Term Mr. L. C. LeTocq will retire as Second Master. Mr. D. G. Cummin, who will give up the House• mastership of The Rise at the end of next Easter Term, will succeed Mr. LeTocq as Second Master in September, 1974. Mr. D. Kirby will become Housemaster of The Rise at the start of the Summer Term, 1974, and Mr. R. H. Hubbard will become Housemaster of Queen's.

At the end of the Summer Term we said goodbye to Mr. S. E. Bray and Mrs. S. Kershaw who had each taught here for one year: and to Mr. D. Chapman-Smith who was here for two terms. We thank them all for the time and energy they gave to the School in many ways. Mr.

Bray has written to thank masters and boys for their gifts when he left, and adds: "My wife and I will miss York more than we thought we should . . . . We wish the School every good fortune in the future."

We welcome Mr. I. J. Armstrong, B.Sc. (Durham), who will teach Maths; Mr. A. W. Roberts, B.A. (Leeds), for French and Russian; and Mr. W. Riley for Music. We hope they will all enjoy their time at St. Peter's.

In June Mr. D. G. Cummin was elected in the Clifton Ward to the ork District Council which will take office on 1st April next year. * * *

The Summer Term started on 24th April. * * *

The first Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition, for the Bronze and lver Groups was on 5th and 6th May. * * *

On 12th May the Boat Club Dance was held in the Memorial Hall. * * *

The Scholarship Examination was from 21st to 25th May. * * *

Half Term Holiday was from 25th to 29th May. * * *

The Choir sang in the R.S.C.M. Festival at Ripon on 24th May, and Evensong in York Minster on 30th May. * * * 2nd and 3rd June: second Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition, r Preliminary Group Section 2. * * *

On 5th June the C.C.F. was inspected by Group Captain J. L. W. owler, R.A.F., the Officer Commanding Royal Air Force, Linton-onuse.

* * *

On 7th June a party visited the Greek Play at Bradfield; and the me day the Northern Secretary of the Independent Schools Careers rganisation (formerly P.S.A.B.) visited the School. * * *

From the 8th to 10th June the Silver Group of the Duke of Edinburgh Award had their expedition; and the Bronze Group were out from 9th to 10th.

* * * The Common Entrance Examination was from 11th to 13th June. 3