CO129-527-9 Proposed establishment of industrial school for boys. Question of Catholic and Salvation Army influence 8-7-1930 - 31-10-1930 — Page 14

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class may be sent to industrial schools)

The tendency,

however, is in the direction of drawing no sharp distinction

between the two classes, and it is proposed in future

legislation to abandon the distinction between industrial and

reformatory schools.

Mr. Clynes observes that it is intended to accommodate

about 300 boys in the proposed Industrial School in Hong Kong.

Schools of this size were to be found in England some years

ago, but experience has shown that with difficult boys strong

personal influences are required for the building up of

character, and it is difficult for any single individual who

may be in control of such a school as Headmaster to bring his

influence to bear on so large a number. The schools in

England are now generally limited to between 100 and 150 boys

and the results of this policy have been highly beneficial.

Most of the industrial and reformatory schools are still

under voluntary management though supported by public funds

and are denominational in character that is to say, Roman

In this

K

Catholic boys are sent to Roman Catholic schools.

way the Home Office has come into contact with a good many

schools staffed by religious orders. One of the main

difficulties about this type of institution is that there are

often frequent changes of staff which may react detrimentally

on the interests of the school and close inspection has been

found desirable. Schools run by religious orders are sometimes

apt to suffer from the absence of any women on the staff or

committee of management. The Home Office has in such cases

insisted on the appointment of a Matron and Nurse with the

result that the health of the boys showed marked improvement.

In all schools for neglected and delinquent children and

/young