The Council's Policy To the Editor of the "Normi-Cima Dany News"
Sw—The report of the Special Education Committee on policy in regard to foreign schools forms a welcome contribution to the study of fa very difficult but very important, problem, and the thanks of both Shanghai ratepayers and Shanghai parents are due to the Committee for their work.
'The need for reducing expenditure gri béucation. Is obvious, and the doubt whether present expen {s''being fairly Gistributed, is fully Justified. 'The report, which is commendable brief, is full of useful information, ut' the policy recommended is not likely to meet with ready acceptance. It involves a radical change in machinery that vitally afoots ratepayers, parents, children, and the Council's staff.
Are the various national groups willing and able' to shoulder the burden?" The American, German and Japanese communities have done 50. and it is possible that the British and other large communities can follow their example, but it is by no means a simple problem. If it were, it is hard to understand why the national policy was not adopted in 1922 when the agreed principles were laid down. It would also be Useful to know why, with this obvious solution before" them, the Council adopted the programme of 1031 which greatly increased expenditure direct. education. Was it that. they. investigated the question and found that this solution would not work? If this were the case, it Is likely that the same conclusions would be ar rived at now.
Another matter on which it would be useful fo have had." information and an opinion from the Committee is in regard to the eMeiency and. suitability for Shanghai, of the exist ing national schools. if the British fand other national groups are to follow their example they must know 'a good deal about these schools. This was probably regarded as being outside the scope of the Committee work, but as the report stands, It is open' to captious orities to say that all the Committee have done is 10 unload the greater part of the Council's obligations.on to the shoulders of the national groups. 1 am inclined to think they are right in doing so, but it would be interesting to learn why it has not been done before, and, Ju particular, why it was not done before the Council launched out on its directly contrary policy in 1931.
Pourcox. Shanghai, Apr. 13.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.