unlike the english act, the scottish one made some provision for secondary education. the scottish education department intended to expand secondary education, but did not intend to produce a universal system. the preferred method was to introduce vocational supplementary teaching in the elementary schools, later known as advanced divisions, up until the age of 14, when pupils would leave to find work. this was controversial because it seemed to counter the cherished principle that schooling was a potential route to university for the bright "lad o' parts". larger urban school boards established about 200 "higher grade" (secondary) schools as a cheaper alternative to the burgh schools. some of these were former grammar schools, such as the glasgow and edinburgh high schools, aberdeen new high school and perth academy. some hospitals became day schools and largely remained independent, while a few, including fettes college in edinburgh, became public schools on the english model. other public schools emerged around the mid century, such as merchiston, loretto school and trinity college, glenalmond. the result of these changes was a fear that secondary education became much harder to access for the children of the poor. however, in the second half of the century roughly a quarter of university students can be described as having working class origins, largely from the skilled and independent sectors of the economy. the scottish education department introduced a leaving certificate examination in 1888 to set national standards for secondary education. in 1890 school fees were abolished, creating a state-funded, national system of compulsory free basic education with common examinations.