I said:
‘I don’t think they did many examinations. I believe Miss Ellis didn’t approve of them.’
‘Quite, quite; and not many of the girls would go on to the Universities, I suppose?’
‘Some did, I think; oh, several did. You could go if you liked.’
Maud smiled.
‘No compulsory abstention,’ she said, ‘but not unduly encouraged, I suppose. Of course here we have quite the opposite idea. We train our girls to regard a University training as the natural culmination of their education. Under present conditions they cannot always afford it, but it is surprising how many can, when once the girl and her family are made to feel it the natural and proper thing. There ought to be more scholarships, of course, for Oxford and Cambridge are too expensive for most girls of the class who come to us, but the Provincial Universities are now excellent. A number of our girls go to Birmingham and more still to the University College here.’
I said:
‘It must be very convenient to have a college here.’
‘Yes, a good departure, quite good. Standard not very high yet, but that will come. I thoroughly approve of this movement for increasing the number of University Colleges in Provincial towns. By the way, Walter,’ she went on, ‘I want to speak to you about that last regulation of the Board of Faculties and Arts, about the P.Q.T. External Examinations, you know the one I mean, 1346; I think it is on the new schedule.’
She took up a bunch of papers from the table beside her and began to look through them.