The Shield shows the names of children who were awarded scholarships. This is an extract of an article included in the Hambletonian issued in December 1925. The article was written by the Chief Officer for Secondary Education West Riding County Council of Yorkshire.
‘For many years past the West Riding Education Authority has endeavoured by means of its County Minor Scholarship to bring Secondary Education within the reach of more and more children. All children of Scholarship age (between 11 and 13) are now examined by the Head Teacher of their elementary Schools, in November of each year, and those recommended by the Head Teacher are admitted to the Scholarship Examination. This year 8,789 were so recommended, but only 7,386 have actually entered for the examination. The parents of the remaining 1,403 children have not allowed them to take advantage of their chance of higher education. Perhaps one reason is because some people wrongly think that a child who lives some distance from a Secondary School is at a disadvantage if he gains a scholarship, as compared with a town child. It is not sufficiently understood that the Scholarship includes not only the fees of the Secondary School, but travelling expenses also; a boarding allowance is made if the child’s home is beyond daily reach of the Secondary School and a maintenance allowance if the Parent’s means are such that some help is needed to enable him to meet the cost of school dinners, special clothes, or any of the incidental expenses of secondary school.
The idea still lingers that the Scholarship Examination is competitive, that only a limited number of scholarships is awarded. That is not so. A certain qualifying standard is fixed and all those who reach it are offered Scholarships. Some parents may hesitate to let their children accept a Scholarship because they know that an agreement to keep the child at the Secondary School until 16 is required.. . . ‘