THE  SOCIAL  WORK  OF  LOCAL  AUTHORITIES
smaller classes, more varied and expensive equipment, and teachers
with special qualifications* The curriculum of the ordinary
secondary school is largely determined by the requirements of
the General and Higher School Examinations, which the
Universities control While this system encourages the school
to maintain a reasonable standard of work, it is doubtful whether
the needs of all the children are satisfactorily met, and the form
of the examinations is being reconsidered. Most secondary
schools are entirely controlled by local authorities, but there are
a number which, originally private foundations, are now aided
from public funds $ these are managed by Boards of Governors
on which the local education authorities and the foundations are
represented, Some of the oldest secondary schools are private,
or occasionally Royal foundations* toany of them dgtitig from
the sixteenth csntury, when the prosperous classes were anxious
to secure for their children the benefits of the new learning. A
certain number are still independent of public funds or control,
and these, together with some of the aided schools are known as
the Public Schools—a nam$ which once distinguished them from
schools run for private profit, but which, with the rise of publicly
controlled secondary schools, has become rather confusing.
All secondary schools charge fees, but the local education
authorities provide scholarships and free places which enable
some of the children of even the poorest parents to attend. At
publicly controlled secondary schools, the great majority of pupils
come from elementary schools, whence also a limited number
make their way into the Public Schools. The latter, however, are
mainly recruited from the private preparatory schools*. There are
thus two distinct systems of education, for the richer and poorer
classes respectively. As to quality ojf education, there is little to
choose between Public Schools and others, though the greater
wealth of some of the former gives them an advantage. A Public
School education is regarded as a socpal distinction, and is a help
in obtaining certain kinds of employment; the political impli-
cations of this have already been remarked.