Transcript from The Aberdare Leader, July 1, 1933.
Scholarship Results, 1933
This is the school entrance examination list for 1933 transcribed from
The Aberdare Leader. The names are in rank order of marks obtained in the examination;
the maximum mark was 300. The school took in two Forms of about 30 pupils each, so approximately
the first sixty boys would have been offered a place at the school.
This list probably does not tell us exactly who started at the County
School that year. Account should be taken of the reluctance of a small number of parents
to allow their sons to move up to the County School, as fees would be payable — unless
a full fee exemption was applicable. Also, some families would prefer their sons to
enter employment so that an additional wage for the home was acquired. Added to which
some families moved away over the summer, or in rare cases a boy might wish to join
a sibling at a Secondary Modern School. There would also be a small number of transfers
to the school from other districts.
Consequently, this results page provides a good, but not definitive,
list of the boys entering the school in September 1933.
One anomaly in the list is the absence of the Town Church School. On
examination of the complete list, this school does not appear until David J. Forey with
177 marks, followed by seven others from that school further down the list, which extends
to 150 marks. A similar pattern occurs in the girls’ list, but with an earlier
first occurrence, with Evelyn E. Phillips at 202 marks. It is difficult to find a reason
for this; either the school had a poor year, or perhaps the Church put more emphasis
in getting children passing after one year at the Mardy (Church) Secondary School.
* The 1932 economy campaign proposed that a Means Test be applied
to family incomes to determine the level of school fees payable. The Aberdare Leader
added the following information on the same page as the school entrance examination
results.
No Scholarships, But Free Places
SCALE OF TUITION FEES
Strictly speaking there are now no scholarships granted. But Free Places are awarded
to children whose fathers’ earnings or income come below the scale published below.
In former years the Education Committee and the Governors granted 30 or 40 scholarships
to the top boys and girls and the remainder who were able to enter the County Schools
had to pay small fees.
Under the Board of Education’s new order it is possible for all the top 60 boys and
60 girls (the approximate number admitted) to have free places if it so happened that
the parents’ income came below the scale. This of course would be extremely improbable.
The position will be that after the means test* has been applied those whose parents’
incomes are below will be granted free places and the parents of the other
children will be obliged to pay according to the following figures. It will be noted
that the fees are very reasonable for a parent (with one child) with an income of £6
a week, will only have to pay £7 10s per annum.
Where weekly income of Parent or Guardian with one child, is — |
Annual Fee |
£3 10 0 and under |
None |
Over £3 10 0 up to and including £4 10 0 |
£3 0 0 |
Over £4 10 0 up to and including £6 0 0 |
£5 0 0 |
Over £6 0 0 |
£7 10 0 |
(1) An additional 10s a week is allowed in the income for each additional child.
(2) Within the limits of the above scale, if the fee is paid for the first child,
there shall be a reduction, per annum, of £1 for a second child, £2 for
a third child, £3 for a fourth child, £4 for a fifth child, and so on for
subsequent children.
(3) There will be a reduction of one-third in the fee for Post-Senior pupils over
16 years of age (from the commencement of the following term) admitted after the 1st
April 1933, who are pursuing a course deemed by the Governors to be satisfactory.
Method of Arriving at Assessment
For the purpose of ascertaining the fee, if any, payable, income from the following
sources is to be included :—
(a) Income from property, bank interest, investments, superannuation, and the weekly
net income values of the house where it is owned by the parent or guardian.
(b) In respect of unmarried sons or daughters living at home or away, who earn more
than 30s a week, an amount equivalent to 20% of their earnings in excess of 30s shall
be counted as income of the parent or guardian.
The income of married sons and daughters shall not be taken into account; income from
old age pensions, disability pensions, blind persons pensions, and widows’ pensions,
as well as compensation under the Workmen’s Compensation Acts, shall not be taken into
account.
* The highly controversial household Means Test was introduced by
the National Government in 1931. The writer and television playwright Elaine
Morgan wrote about the much reviled test in the Cynon Valley History Society’s
newsletter Hanes
39, Summer 2007, p2 & 3.
