History Of The Development Of Naval Education

Meanwhile the training of Naval Cadets in the "Britannia" was producing excellent results. It was desirable, however, that accommodation should he found on shore for the cadets and the result was the institution of the Naval College at Dartmouth and at Osborne. In 1903, the system of entry and training of Cadets was altered and it as considered that, if they remained at school until they had passed the age of 17, they would have sufficient grounding to enable them to assimilate the technical parts of their profession. Instruction at sea would therefore be no longer necessary. The direct result of the new scheme was, therefore, the closing of the entry of Naval Instructors in 1904. The branch was to be allowed to die out.

The First World War, however, made great changes. In 1914 the Admiralty was already doubtful of the wisdom of abolishing the Naval Instructor and considerable numbers were entered in the next few years. The schoolmaster was also affected. In 1904, Chief Schoolmasters had been created with commissioned warrant rank. The Service was becoming increasingly technical and it was realised that the standard of scientific knowledge required for promotion was steadily rising. The Hook Committee in 1912 recommended the institution of educational tests for advancement and, although action was deferred until the war was over, yet the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet recognised the value of schoolmasters and requested that they should be appointed to ships. Nearly 250 were entered and it was soon seen that their status as Chief Petty Officers was insufficient. In 1916 they were all given Warrant rank and ceased to be assistants to the Chaplain, while the last of the Chaplain and Naval Instructors disappeared in the early twenties.

During the war, the rank of Chief Naval Instructor had been instituted and an officer with four stripes appeared in the branch for the first time in 1917. The war was also removing other anomalies of the past. The compulsory contributions of the young gentlemen had lingered on until 1914, when each Midshipman was required to pay 3d a day to the Naval Instructor. In that year the Admiralty undertook to pay them and continued to do so until

1919 when these tuition fees were abolished, the pay of Naval officers revised and a system of ranks, ranging from Instructor Lieutenant to Instructor Captain was introduced. The Instructor Branch was reconstituted in 1922 and permanent commissions were awarded to temporary officers recommended after a specified period. The schoolmasters also took a step forward at the end of the War with the introduction of Senior Masters and Headmasters of Lieutenants' rank. But the pay was poor and recruits consequently few. It so happened, however, that there were reductions in the dockyards at this time ad many apprentices who had passed through the schools and who were not required in the dockyards were given the opportunity of becoming Schoolmasters. They had already received an excellent technical education, and after a six months' course in 'Defiance' and experience in the boys' training ships, they became successful Schoolmasters. The adjustments of pay in 1922 to correspond with the Burnham Scale did away with the shortage of recruits to the branch, the status of which continued steadily to rise. In 1927 the first Schoolmaster was promoted to Headmaster with Commander's rank, and, nine years later, the titles were changed to Headmaster Lieutenant and Headmaster Commander. In the same year, a Naval Officer became Director of the Admiralty Education Department for the first time, when Instructor Captain A E Hall was appointed.

It was a natural development of the appointment of a Naval Officer as Director of Naval Education and Head of the Instructor Branch that increasing attention was paid to the Naval potentialities of the Instructor Officer and the Schoolmaster. Instructor Officers, though mainly scientists, had already been encouraged to become interpreters in modern languages and these qualifications were of value whenever Instructor Officers served in H.M. Ships abroad. Now, the more complex operations requirements of the Fleet were met by the extension of their duties, and as at this time there was keen competition in civil life for good teaching and technical appointments, the academic and personal qualities of new entries rose considerably.