a treatise on parents and children-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



plate　inscribed　PESTALOZZIAN　INSTITUTE　and　nail　it　to　your　door；

though　you　have　no　more　idea　of　who　Pestalozzi　was　and　what　he

advocated　or　how　he　did　it　than　the　manager　of　a　hotel　which　began　as

a　Hydropathic　has　of　the　water　cure。　　Or　you　can　buy　a　cheaper　plate

inscribed　KINDERGARTEN；　and　imagine；　or　leave　others　to　imagine；　that

Froebel　is　the　governing　genius　of　your　little　_creche_。　　No　doubt　the

new　brass　plates　are　being　inscribed　Montessori　Institute；　and　will　be

used　when　the　Dotteressa　is　no　longer　with　us　by　all　the　Mrs　Pipchins

and　Mrs　Wilfers　throughout　this　unhappy　land。



I　will　go　further；　and　admit　that　the　brass　plates　may　not　all　be

frauds。　　I　will　tell　you　that　one　of　my　friends　was　led　to　genuine

love　and　considerable　knowledge　of　classical　literature　by　an　Irish

schoolmaster　whom　you　would　call　a　hedge　schoolmaster　（he　would　not　be

allowed　to　teach　anything　now）　and　that　it　took　four　years　of　Harrow

to　obliterate　that　knowledge　and　change　the　love　into　loathing。

Another　friend　of　mine　who　keeps　a　school　in　the　suburbs；　and　who

deeply　deplores　my　〃prejudice　against　schoolmasters；〃　has　offered　to

accept　my　challenge　to　tell　his　pupils　that　they　are　as　free　to　get　up

and　go　out　of　the　school　at　any　moment　as　their　parents　are　to　get　up

and　go　out　of　a　theatre　where　my　plays　are　being　performed。　　Even

among　my　own　schoolmasters　I　can　recollect　a　few　whose　classes

interested　me；　and　whom　I　should　certainly　have　pestered　for

information　and　instruction　if　I　could　have　got　into　any　decent　human

relationship　with　them；　and　if　they　had　not　been　compelled　by　their

position　to　defend　themselves　as　carefully　against　such　advances　as

against　furtive　attempts　to　hurt　them　accidentally　in　the　football

field　or　smash　their　hats　with　a　clod　from　behind　a　wall。　　But　these

rare　cases　actually　do　more　harm　than　good；　for　they　encourage　us　to

pretend　that　all　schoolmasters　are　like　that。　　Of　what　use　is　it　to　us

that　there　are　always　somewhere　two　or　three　teachers　of　children

whose　specific　genius　for　their　occupation　triumphs　over　our　tyrannous

system　and　even　finds　in　it　its　opportunity？　　For　that　matter；　it　is

possible；　if　difficult；　to　find　a　solicitor；　or　even　a　judge；　who　has

some　notion　of　what　law　means；　a　doctor　with　a　glimmering　of　science；

an　officer　who　understands　duty　and　discipline；　and　a　clergyman　with

an　inkling　of　religion；　though　there　are　nothing　like　enough　of　them

to　go　round。　　But　even　the　few　who；　like　Ibsen's　Mrs　Solness；　have　〃a

genius　for　nursing　the　souls　of　little　children〃　are　like　angels

forced　to　work　in　prisons　instead　of　in　heaven；　and　even　at　that　they

are　mostly　underpaid　and　despised。　　That　friend　of　mine　who　went　from

the　hedge　schoolmaster　to　Harrow　once　saw　a　schoolmaster　rush　from　an

elementary　school　in　pursuit　of　a　boy　and　strike　him。　　My　friend；　not

considering　that　the　unfortunate　man　was　probably　goaded　beyond

endurance；　smote　the　schoolmaster　and　blackened　his　eye。　　The

schoolmaster　appealed　to　the　law；　and　my　friend　found　himself　waiting

nervously　in　the　Hammersmith　Police　Court　to　answer　for　his　breach　of

the　peace。　　In　his　anxiety　he　asked　a　police　officer　what　would　happen

to　him。　　〃What　did　you　do？〃　said　the　officer。　　〃I　gave　a　man　a　black

eye〃　said　my　friend。　　〃Six　pounds　if　he　was　a　gentleman：　　two　pounds

if　he　wasnt；〃　said　the　constable。　　〃He　was　a　schoolmaster〃　said　my

friend。　　〃Two　pounds〃　said　the　officer；　and　two　pounds　it　was。　　The

blood　money　was　paid　cheerfully；　and　I　have　ever　since　advised

elementary　schoolmasters　to　qualify　themselves　in　the　art　of

self…defence；　as　the　British　Constitution　expresses　our　national

estimate　of　them　by　allowing　us　to　blacken　three　of　their　eyes　for　the

same　price　as　one　of　an　ordinary　professional　man。　　How　many　Froebels

and　Pestalozzis　and　Miss　Masons　and　Doctoress　Montessoris　would　you　be

likely　to　get　on　these　terms　even　if　they　occurred　much　more

frequently　in　nature　than　they　actually　do？



No：　　I　cannot　be　put　off　by　the　news　that　our　system　would　be　perfect

if　it　were　worked　by　angels。　　I　do　not　admit　it　even　at　that；　just　as

I　do　not　admit　that　if　the　sky　fell　we　should　all　catch　larks。　　But　I

do　not　propose　to　bother　about　a　supply　of　specific　genius　which　does

not　exist；　and　which；　if　it　did　exist；　could　operate　only　by　at　once

recognizing　and　establishing　the　rights　of　children。







What　We　Do　Not　Teach；　and　Why



To　my　mind；　a　glance　at　the　subjects　now　taught　in　schools　ought　to

convince　any　reasonable　person　that　the　object　of　the　lessons　is　to

keep　children　out　of　mischief；　and　not　to　qualify　them　for　their　part

in　life　as　responsible　citizens　of　a　free　State。　　It　is　not　possible

to　maintain　freedom　in　any　State；　no　matter　how　perfect　its　original

constitution；　unless　its　publicly　active　citizens　know　a　good　deal　of

constitutional　history；　law；　and　political　science；　with　its　basis　of

economics。　　If　as　much　pains　had　been　taken　a　century　ago　to　make　us

all　understand　Ricardo's　law　of　rent　as　to　learn　our　catechisms；　the

face　of　the　world　would　have　been　changed　for　the　better。　　But　for

that　very　reason　the　greatest　care　is　taken　to　keep　such　beneficially

subversive　knowledge　from　us；　with　the　result　that　in　public　life　we

are　either　place…hunters；　anarchists；　or　sheep　shepherded　by　wolves。



But　it　will　be　observed　that　these　are　highly　controversial　subjects。

Now　no　controversial　subject　can　be　taught　dogmatically。　　He　who　knows

only　the　official　side　of　a　controversy　knows　less　than　nothing　of　its

nature。　　The　abler　a　schoolmaster　is；　the　more　dangerous　he　is　to　his

pupils　unless　they　have　the　fullest　opportunity　of　hearing　another

equally　able　person　do　his　utmost　to　shake　his　authority　and　convict

him　of　error。



At　present　such　teaching　is　very　unpopular。　　It　does　not　exist　in

schools；　but　every　adult　who　derives　his　knowledge　of　public　affairs

from　the　newspapers　can　take　in；　at　the　cost　of　an　extra　halfpenny；

two　papers　of　opposite　politics。　　Yet　the　ordinary　man　so　dislikes

having　his　mind　unsettled；　as　he　calls　it；　that　he　angrily　refuses　to

allow　a　paper　which　dissents　from　his　views　to　be　brought　into　his

house。　　Even　at　his　club　he　resents　seeing　it；　and　excludes　it　if　it

happens　to　run　counter　to　the　opinions　of　all　the　members。　　The　result

is　that　his　opinions　are　not　worth　considering。　　A　churchman　who　never

reads　The　Freethinker　very　soon　has　no　more　real　religion　than　the

atheist　who　never　reads　The　Church　Times。　　The　attitude　is　the　same　in

both　cases：　　they　want　to　hear　nothing　good　of　their　enemies；

consequently　they　remain　enemies　and　suffer　from　bad　blood　all　their

lives；　whereas　men　who　know　their　opponents　and　understand　their　case；

quite　commonly　respect　and　like　them；　and　always　learn　something　from

them。



Here；　again；　as　at　so　many　points；　we　come　up　against　the　abuse　of

schools　to　keep　people　in　ignorance　and　error；　so　that　they　may　be

incapable　of　successful　revolt　against　their　industrial　slavery。　　The

most　important　simple　fundamental　economic　truth　to　impress　on　a　child

in　complicated　civilizations　like　ours　is　the　truth　that　whoever

consumes　goods　or　services　without　producing　by　personal　effort　the

equivalent　of　what　he　or　she　consumes；　inflicts　on　the　community

precisely　the　same　injury　that　a　thief　produces；　and　would；　in　any

honest　State；　be　treated　as　a　thief；　however　full　his　or　her　pockets

might　be　of　money　made　by　other　people。　　The　nation　that　first　teaches

its　children　that　truth；　instead　of　flogging　them　if　they　discover　it

for　themselves；　may　have　to　fight　all　the　slaves　of　all　the　other

nations　to　begin　with；　but　it　will　beat　them　as　easily　as　an

unburdened　man　with　his　hands　free　and　with　all　his　energies　in　full

play　can　beat　an　invalid　who　has　to　carry　another　invalid　on　his　back。



This；　however；　is　not　an　evil　produced　by　the　denial　of　children's

rights；　nor　is　it　inherent　in　the　nature　of　schools。　　I　mention　it

only　because　it　would　be　folly　to　call　for　a　reform　of　our　schools

without　taking　account　of　the　corrupt　resistance　which　awaits　the

reformer。



A　word　must　also　be　said　about　the　opposition　to　reform　of　the　vested

interest　of　the　classical　and　coercive　schoolmaster。　　He；　poor　wretch；

has　no　other　means　of　livelihood；　and　reform　would　leave　him　as　a

workman　is　now　left　when　he　is　superseded　by　a　machine。　　He　had

therefore　better　do　what　he　can　to　get　the　workman　compensated；　so　as

to　make　the　public　familiar　with　the　idea　of　compensation　before　his

own　turn　comes。







Taboo　in　Schools



The　suppression　of　economic　knowledge；　disastrous　as　it　is；　is　quite

intelligible；　its　corrupt　motive　being　as　clear　as　the　motive　of　a

burglar　for　concealing　his　jemmy　from　a　policeman。　　But　the　other

great　suppression　in　our　schools；　the　suppression　of　the　subject　of

sex；　is　a　case　of　taboo。　　In　mankind；　the　lower　the　type；　and　the　less

cultivated　the　mind；　the　less　courage　there　is　to　face　important

subjects　objectively。　　The　ablest　and　most　highly　cultivated　people

continually　discuss　religion；　politics；　and　sex：　　it　is　hardly　an

exaggeration　to　say　that　they　discuss　nothing　else　with　fully…awakened

interest。　　Commoner　and　less　cultivated　people；　even　when　they　form

societies　for　discussion；　make　a　rule　that　politics　and　religion　are

not　to　be　mentioned；　and　take　it　for　granted　that　no　decent　person

would　attempt　to　discuss　sex。　　The　three　subjects　are　feared　because

they　rouse　the　crude　passions　which　call　for　furious　gratification　in

murder　and　rapine　at　worst；　and；　at　best；　lead　to　quarrels　and

undesirable　states　of　consciousness。



Even　when　this　excuse　of　bad　manners；　ill　temper；　and　brutishness　（for

that　is　what　it　comes　to）　compels　us　to　accept　it　from　those　adults

among　whom　political　and　theological　discussion　does　as　a　matter　of

fact　lead　to　the　drawing　of　knives　and　pistols；　and　sex　discussion

l