First report of the Royal Commissioners appointed to inquire into the endowed schools and hospitals (Scotland) : with evidence and appendix / [chairman, Sir Edward Colebrooke].

  • Scotland. Endowed Schools Commission.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First report of the Royal Commissioners appointed to inquire into the endowed schools and hospitals (Scotland) : with evidence and appendix / [chairman, Sir Edward Colebrooke]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    66/790 (page 52)
    these widows regard such an institution as Heriot's Hospital as a very great boon, and they are extremely grateful for it. They co-operate with the officials of the institution. I don't hesitate to say, speaking for Heriot's Hospital, that a very large number of useful members of society have been turned out from the institution, belonging to this class. 1 could mention two or three brothers out of several families, that have gone out with the same free, open expression that they had when they came in, and have taken excellent positions in society, and really received what had been contemplated—social restitution. 539. Were the boys in the practice of visiting then- relations during the time they were in the hospital ?—The boys formerly were allowed to go out very seldom; but within the last three or four years, in fact since 1868, there has been a very considerable remodelling of the institution. The non-resident element has been admitted ; one-third of the boys, or 60 out of 180, are now non-resident boys. These boys come in the morning usually at nine o'clock (they may come to breakfast at eight if they please), they lunch and dine there, and stay in the hospital till five o'clock. They then return home, prepare their lessons at home, and come back next morning. When the new arrangements were made admitting non-resident boys, the governors gave the house governor discretionary power to allow any number of boys to go out on Saturday and stay till Monday morning with their friends, sleeping at home on Saturday and Sunday nights, but coming to the hospital on the Sunday to attend church, and also a Bible class. The governors would have allowed them to be out all the Sunday, but they thought there was something in the statutes which forbade them, and they did not want to exceed their statu- tory powers. The effect of this change has been most beneficial to the institution. In a report which I presented to the governors a short time ago, I state thus : ' One of the effects (not unanticipated) of the adoption of the non-resident element has been an occasional irregularity in attendance on the part of some of the boys, both the non-residents and those who spend Saturday and Sunday at home. This is partly due to the fact that boys taken sick at home do not usually receive the prompt and skilful atten- tion enjoyed by the resident boys, and thus are kept the longer away from their classes; and partly owing to a foolish indulgence on the part of many of the parents, who listen to excuses which would never be urged by a resident boy. But as a set off against this undoubted drawback, it gives me pleasure to report that I have never during my whole period of office had so little trouble in regard to the conduct of the boys as during the last twelve months.' That was one year afterwards ; and what applied then to twelve months applies to the whole interval since. 'Every previous year I have calculated on having at least three or four very troublesome boys out of the 180, whose influence was usually pernicious; but this last year I cannot say there has been a single boy who could be so characterized. The only way in which I can explain it is, that the old corporate feeling, with all its secret policy, has been greatly modified by the action of the recent regulations; and the little irritations of feeling caused by the necessary exercise of discipline, which occasionally used to grow into troublesome dimensions, are now soothed down, either by a more frequent association with out-door friends, or by a daily inter- ruption of intercourse with companions in class or play.' 540. The Earl of Rosebery.—Did the parents object to having their chil- dren home on Saturday or Sunday, or did they like it!—We were not empowered to allow the boys to go out before that new arrangement, 541. But since the new arrangement .'—Since then 90 of the parents have taken advantage of it.