CHAPTER 7.

THE SCHEME OF 1877.

As the modern State has grown, so has the area of its
influence in the lives of the people. At first, the function of the
State was simply to protect the people and to collect taxes for
that purpose. But gradually there grew up the idea that the
Government should see to the general welfare of the people,
including their education, health, and the conditions in which they
worked. In the nineteenth century, therefore, Royal Commissions
were appointed to investigate the social conditions of the people
with a view to legislation to improve them. There were Factory
Commissions and there were also the Royal Commissions of Enquiry
into the Grammar Schools. In 1864, for example, Lord Taunton
was appointed Chairman of the Commission to report on conditions
in the Grammar Schools; and it was this Commission that the
Governors referred to in their report, mentioned at the end of the
last chapter.

Several years were to pass before the commissioners were
ready with their scheme for the management of the School; in
fact it was not until 1877 that it was put forward with all its
details.  Before entering into an account of the 1877 scheme, we
might pause to consider its importance. Before this date, the State
had occasionally taken notice of Kibworth School because it was
a charity. The Charity Commissioners had visited the School at
different  times to see that the funds were properly  adminis-
tered.  Now the State was intervening to see that the education
given in the charity was up to standard; and the main theme of
the School's history from this point onwards is the ever-growing
power of the State in its affairs. At this moment, however, it was
simply seeing that the Governors carried out efficiently their task
of administering the School.  The State was not yet ready to lend
financial support to the Grammar Schools. It was expected that
the endowments and fees would provide sufficient money for their
upkeep. But the State was already financing elementary schools,
and it was only a question of time before financial assistance
would be extended to the Grammar Schools.

Hitherto, the existing Governors had themselves chosen their
successors, but now the Commissioners stepped in to say what
people were to act as Governors of the School. They insisted that
one half of the governing body should, in future, consist of people
holding responsible posts in local government. One Governor
was to be the person who occupied the post of Chairman of the
Market Harborough magistrates. The Board of Guardians of the
Market Harborough Union were to choose two more Governors,
and so was the Board of the Billesdon Union.  These five representa-
tive Governors were to serve for a period of ficve years and, in
addition to them, there were to be five co-optative Governors, who
were to be elected for eight years.

Having provided an organisation for the continued administ-
ration of the School, the Commissioners then turned to deal with
the old problem of raising the standard so it would provided a
more liberal education than mere instruction in the three R's.
First of all, they sought to make the School more attractive to the
middle classes by insisting that, in future, most boys attending the
School should pay fees.  Until the nineteenth century, the emphasis
had been o the free boys; not until 1836 had there been any fee-
payers. For four hundred years, Kibworth was, as its founders
intended it to be, a Free Grammar School. But now in 1877,
fee-paying pupils were to be the rule rather than the exception,
though scholarship winners were to be admitted free. The
Commissioners suggested that there should also be an entrance fee
in addition to the tuition fees. They fixed the entrance fees at
anything up to £2 per pupil and the tuition fees at a figure between
£6 and £10 per annum. The actual amount in each case was to
be fixed by the Governors. Borders were to pay a sum not more
than £40 p.a., excluding tuition fees.

Although the State was not yet financing Grammar School
education, it was anxious nt to take away from poorer boys the
privilege of obtaining such an education.  Thus the Governors of
Kibworth were ordered to provide scholarships to the School to
the yearly value of £60. They were, in the first place, to be
awarded to children who had spent at least two years in the
elementary schools at Kibworth Beauchamp, Kibworth Harcourt
or Smeeton Westerby.  If not suitable candidates were forthcoming
from these schools, then the competition was thrown open to children
from outside. Scholarships were to be awarded on the results of
an examination in the subjects taught at the elementary schools,
but even if a boy passed the examination, he was not admitted to
the School unless the Headmaster of his school testified that he
was a boy of good character.

The object of the Scheme was, as had been stated, to raise
the standard of education in the School. Everything therefore
depended on the appointment of a suitable Headmaster; and
consequently the Scheme included many rules about the Head-
master, his qualifications, appointment, stipend, dismissal, etc. As
regards qualifications, he was to be a graduate of some University
of the British Empire. It was definitely stated that he need not be
a clergyman; nor was it necessary for a future Headmaster to
procure the Bishop's licence. On his appointment, each Head had
to sign the following declaration:-- " I......declare that I will
always to the best of my ability discharge the duties of Head-
master of Kibworth Grammar School during my tenure of office,
and that if I am removed by the Governors I will acquiesce in such
removal.".

Moreover, a future Headmaster had to agree that he would
give his personal attention to the duties of the School. He could
not accept any benefice having the cure of souls, once he had been
appointed to the Headship. Clearly, the Commissioners did not
expect clerical Headmasters to disappear at once. Actually, the
first lay Head of Kibworth was not appointed till 1927.

The Commissioners also went into the question of the Head-
master's salary. He was to receive a fixed stipend of £150, but in
addition he was to receive 'head' money, i.e. an extra allowance
for each boy attending the school. The actual figure of this
allowance was to be settled between the Governors and the Head,
but it was to be between £4 and £6. In any case, the Governors
had to agree to pay the Head a sums of not less that £300 p.a.

To prevent any possible misunderstanding that might arise
between the Governors and the Head over their respective powers,
the Commissioners laid down as fully as possible the duties of the
Governors and those of the Head. The Governors were respon-
sible for prescribing what subjects were to be taught in the School,
for arranging the school holidays, for fixing the actual fees of day
scholars, and for dtermining the actual number of assistant
masters, together with the power to fix their salaries. The Head's
duties were restricted to the internal running of the School. He
was to have the choice of books, to decide upon the methods of
teaching, to arrange the classes and to fix the hours of commencing
and finishing school.  The Head was also to have the right of
appointing his own staff.

Another method by which the Commissioners hoped to raise
the standard of education at Kibworth was by means of an entrance
examination. It was to be taken by all children intending to enter
the School, and was to consist of reading a passage from a book,
of writing small text-hand, of doing sums in the first four rules
and of ansering questions on the geography of England. The
Commissioners, moreover, stipulated that a boy could not attend
the School before he was eight years of age, and he was bound to
leave the term he attainted the age of seventeen; but no penalty
was fixed for a boy leaving before that age.

The Governors were given the power of deciding the subjects
to be taught, but the Commissioners themselves stated the subjects
for instruction--Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Mathematics,
Natural Science; English Grammar, Composition and Literature; at
least one foreign European language; Drawing and Vocal Music.
Greek was included in the curriculum, but at the cost of £3.

The Commissioners ordered the Governors to appoint each
year an examiner, who was to make a report on the work of the
School. Moreover, the Headmaster was to make an annual
report in writing tot he Governors on the general condition of the
School.

The Scheme of 1877 was the first stage in the direct inter-
vention of the State in the affairs of the School. The Governors
were still an independent body responsible to no higher authority
for the conduct of the School. This period came to an end in
1909, when the Scheme drawn up in that year gave the State a
still greater control over the School and made the Governors
responsible to Leicestershire County Council for its administ-
ration.