Page:The education of the farmer.djvu/50

 to a second establishment—house-rent, repairs, interest, wear and tear on bedding and furniture, with a special allowance for a bolstering- match now and then, without which a school would be worth nothing. In a town I do not see how we can allow less than 2l. or 3l. a-head for these. I know that these sums are much below the mark in one case. Firing and lighting, attendance at the rate of a servant to every 15 boys, would amount to a considerable sum per head. So that, apart from all question of education, the account for board and lodging, exclusive of teaching, stands thus:—

I fear that some persons are of opinion that they ought not to pay much more than this, and therefore they must suppose that the education is to be given for nothing, or for the profit which the master can make out of his housekeeping. But dismissing this view of the question, let us take the case of a school of 40 or 50 boys, including day boys, and see how education is to be paid for. Is it reasonable to expect a man of education with a family of his own to undertake the anxious life of a schoolmaster at his own risk for less than a clear income of 200l. per annum, after payment of all expenses? He needs much more to maintain his position in society, and to secure the means of retirement before he is worn out. His assistants ought to cost him, including their board, 150l. per annum. I allow 50l. more for occasional masters and sundry expenses in teaching; then we have;

If there are 50 boys in the school, including day boys and boarders, this gives an average expense for tuition of 8l., or, if only 40 boys, of 10l. per annum; these sums, I understand, represent in fact the actual cost of what is considered good education by the middle ranks in a neighbouring town, so that we arrive at the lowest fair cost of a boarding-school:—