Part 10 (1/2)

It is quite conceivable, however, that circuht arise which would render such action not merely desirable but absolutely essential to the national well-being; indeed it is at least arguable that such circumstances have already arisen The popular doctrine of the early Victorian era, that the welfare of the co every man to seek his own interests in the way chosen by hireatlythat national efficiency is to be attained by individual liberty that so the two as essentially antagonistic The nation, as a whole, supported the Legislature in the establishment of compulsory military service; it did so without enthusiaseneral conviction that such a policy was denitude of the issues at stake Britons have always been ready, even eager, to give their lives for their country; but, even now, ation to do so should be a al one The doctrine of individual liberty implies the minimum of State interference Hence there is no country in the world where so much has been left to individual initiative and voluntary effort as in England; and, though of late the nureatly increased, it still remains true that an enormous amount of important work, of a kind which is elsewhere done by salaried servants of the State, is in the hands of voluntary associations or of nised by the State, receive no salary for their services Nor can it be denied that the work has been, on the whole, well done A traditional practice of such a kind cannot be (and ought not to be) abandoned at once or without careful consideration; yet the changed conditions of domestic and international politics render soislature has protected the purchaser--in spite of the doctrine of ”caveat eainst adulteration of food, and has in addition, created machinery to enforce those enact that it shall also protect us against incoh not so obvious, are evenfro in occupations would seem to be the business of the State quite as -houses and factories

The best interests of the nation de profession--to take one exauarded at least as carefully as the entrance to medicine or law

The supreme importance of the functions exercised by teachers is far froenerally realised, even by teachers themselves; yet upon the effective realisation of that iely depends Doubtless most of us would prefer that the supply of teachers should beshould be undertaken, like that of in to private or public beneficence rather than to the State; nevertheless, the obligation to secure adequate numbers of suitable candidates and to provide for their professional training rests ultinised as far as elementary education is concerned, but it is by no means confined to that branch

It is well to realise at this point that the efficient discharge of the duty thus iree of compulsion on both teachers and pupils than has hitherto been employed The terrible spectacle of the unutilised resources of huer relations of our national life, has been responsible for certain tentatives which have either failed altogether to achieve their object, or have been but partially successful Much has been heard of the educational ladder--incidentally it may be noted that the educational sieve is equally necessary, though not equally popular--and soirl of parts to climb from the elementary school to the university without excessive difficulty To supple deficiencies of elementary education a few--ridiculously few--continuation schools have been established

That these and siely due to the fact that the State has been content to provide facilities, but has refrained froree of compulsion which alone could ensure that they would be utilised by those for whose benefit they were created ”Such continuation schools as England possesses,”

says a German critic, ”are without the indispensable condition of compulsion” The reforms recently outlined by the President of the Board of Education show that he, at any rate, adrounded A system which compels a child to attend school until he is fourteen and then leaves him to his own resources can do little to create, and less to satisfy, a thirst for knowledge During the hteen--he is left without guidance, without discipline, without ideals, often without even the desire of re the little he knows He is led, as it were, to the threshold of the temple, but the fast-closed door forbids hilories of the interior Year by year there is an appalling waste of good human material; and thousands of those whoated, in consequence of undeveloped or imperfectly trained capacity, to the ranks, or become hewers of wood and drawers of water

Many drift with other groups of hue to the uneutter and the grave The poor we have alith us; but the wastrel--like the pauper--”is a work of art, the creation of wasteful syislative inefficiency”

Weof ”the State” to avoid the error of supposing that it is a divinely appointed entity, endoith power and wisdoh It is, in short, the nation in islature were cohtened patriotism in the country, its enactments must needs fall short of its own standards, and be but little in advance of those of the average of the nation It e with Solon ”These are not the best laws I could make, but they are the best which my nation is fitted to receive” We cannot bla ourselves The absence of any widespread enthusiasm for education, or appreciation of its possibilities; the claiencies of Party Governhts have proved well-nigh insuperable obstacles in the path of true educational reforood laws as we have deserved The changed conditions due to the war, and the changed temper of the nation afford a unique opportunity for wiser counsels, and--to souarantee that they shall receive careful and sympathetic consideration

Itprofession to exemplify the duty of the State to assume responsibility for both individual and community, we have chosen a case which is exceptional rather than typical; that many, perhaps most, of the other vocations may be safely left to the their own lines with the minimum of State interference It cannot be denied that there is force in these objections It should suffice, however, to remark that, if the duty of the State to secure the efficiency of its s be admitted, the question of the extent to which, and the manner in which control is exercised is one of detail rather than of principle, and may therefore be settled by the common sense and practical experience of the parties chiefly concerned

A much more difficult problem is sure to arise, sooner or later, in connection with the utilisation of efficients Soo the present Prime Minister called attention to the waste of power involved in the training of the rich They receive, he said, the best that money can buy; their bodies and brains are disciplined; and then ”they devote themselves to a life of idleness” It is ”a stupid waste of first-classto the work of the world, they ”kill their ti at enormous expense” It has needed the bloodiest war in history to reveal the splendid herois ratitude, honour, nay even reverence? But the problem still remains how are the priceless qualities, which have been so freely devoted to the national welfare on the battlefield, to be utilised for the greater works of peace which await us? Are we to recognise the right to be idle as well as the right to work? Is there to be a kind of second Thellusson Act, directed against accumulations of leisure? Or are we to attereat principle of Conservation of Spiritual Energy, by the application of which these men may make a contribution worthy of themselves to the national life and character? Who can answer?

But though it is freely adressive individualiser possible to rely entirely upon voluntary organisations however useful, there are not a few of our countryrave concern any increase in the power and authority of the State They point out that such increase tends inevitably towards the despotisarchy, and that such a despotism, however benevolent in its inception, ruthlessly sacrifices individual interests and liberty to the real or supposed good of the State; that even where constitutional forms remain the spirit which animated them has departed; that officialism and bureaucracy with their attendant evils become supreme, and that the national character steadily deteriorates They warn us that we anisation and efficiency; and, though it is natural that we should adht not to overlook the fact that those anisation in the history of the world are also responsible for orgies of brutality without parallel as are needful cannot be doubted; but ers incident to a course of action rather than the inevitable consequences thereof? In adapting ourselves to new conditions we must needs take risks No British Government could stamp out voluntaryism even if it wished to do so; and none has yet manifested any such desire The nation does not want that kind of national unity of which Germany is so proud, and which seelish character and genius rest upon a conception of freedon and even repulsive to its tees which lie before us, the worshi+p of the State is the one form of idolatry into which the British people are least likely to fall

II

The recent adaptation of factories and workshops to the production of war oes on year by year in peace tiree and in less dra theed conditions of production, but they are applying the experience and skill gained in the pursuit of one occupation to the probleed The comparative ease hich this is done is evidence of the widespread existence of that gift which our eneh,” but which has been ter truth to politeness--the ”concurrent adaptability to environment” The British sailor as ”handy man” has few equals and no superiors, and he is, in some sort, typical of the nation

The testimony of Thucydides to Themistocles ([Greek: kratistos de oytos aytoschediazein ta deonta egeneto]) lishmen to-day As this power [Greek: aytoschediazein ta deonta] in the present war saved the Allies from defeat at the outset, so we hope and believe it will carry them on to victory at the last Yet it becolect preparation or despise organisation, for neither of which can it ever be an entirely satisfactory substitute, albeit a very costly one

At the sa which seriously impairs this power tends to deprive us of one of the most valuable of our national assets It follows that, for the majority at least, exclusive or excessive specialisation in training--vocational or otherwise--so far froe, is a positive drawback; for, as we have seen, a large proportion of our youth manifest no marked bent in any particular direction, and of those who do but a shest specialisation deh school life is a preparation for practical life, vocational education ought not to begin until a coins at all while he remains at school On this it would seereed; for the entrance examinations, which they have accepted or established are all frae of the special subjects to which he will afterwards devote himself The evils of premature specialisation are too well known to require even enumeration, and they are increased rather than diminished if that premature specialisation is vocational The i as the htly to use the hours of work can hardly be exaggerated; but the value of his work, his worth to his fellows, and his rank in the scale of ree, upon the way in which he uses the hours of leisure It is one of the greatest of the ood school to train its h this is not always achieved by directthere must needs be much of what can only be to all save its most enthusiastic devotees--and, at tiery A man cannot do his best, or be his best, unless he is able to overcoht to bear upon hi mental and spiritual freshness and stimulus; in other words his ”inward encies which may contribute to such a result; but school memories, school friendshi+ps, school ”interests” take a fore them Many boys by the time they leave school have developed an interest or hobby--literary, scientific or practical; and the hobby has an ethical, as well as an economic value Nor is this all

Excessive devotion to ”Bread Studies,” whether voluntary or compulsory, tends to make a man's vocation the prison of his soul

Professor Eucken recently told his countryrew, the srew their souls Any rational interest, therefore, which helps a man to shake off his fetters, helps also to preserve his humanity and to keep hiuished Frenchoes to school or college, and perhaps does his best But he does not get the sort of passion for the honour and prosperity of his school or college which you English see unselfish devotion which makes our schools the spiritual power-houses of the nation This love for an abstraction, which even the dullest boys feel, is the beginning of lish life sweet and pure It is the same spirit which, in later years, moves men to do such splendid voluntary work for their church, their town, their country, and even in some cases leads them ”to take the whole world for their parish”

However much we may strive to reach the beautiful Montessori ideal, the fact remains that there must be some lessons, soladly avoid if he could; but they must be done promptly and satisfactorily, and, if not cheerfully, at least without audibleEventually he may, and often does, come to like them; at any rate he realises that they are not set before him in order to irritate or punish hireed that the acquires, even under compulsion, because they are part of one's duty is no bad preparation for a life in whichtheir quota of unpleasant duties which cannot be avoided, delegated, or postponed

At the present tier--in so the specifically vocational, or ”practical” side of education Theminds and their li is done, or of the educational values of the various studies in a school curriculum He is prone to choose subjects chiefly or solely because of their immediate practical utility Thus in his view the chief reason for learning a e is that business communications will thereby be facilitated One could wish that he would be content to indicate the end which he has in view, and which he sees clearly, and leave the ment and experience of the teacher; for in education, as in other spheres of action, the obvious way is rarely the right way, and very often the way of disaster Yet it is a distinct gain to have the practical ht into the administration of educational affairs; for teachers are, as a rule, too little in contact with the world of commerce to know much of the needs and ideas of business men The Board of Education has already established a Consultative Co Co of representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of the country be also appointed? Such a Committee could render, as could no other body, invaluable service to the cause of education

From a recent article by Professor Leacock we learn that soe in the Canadian schools and universities ”The railroad er, the proroup known as captains of industry, began to besiege the universities cla for their sons” Mr Leacock tells of a ”great and famous Canadian public school,” which he attended, at which practical banking was taught so resolutely that they had wire gratings and little wickets, books labelled with the uts It all cainning to find that the great thing is to give a schoolboy a ; when the time comes ”you will train your banker in a bank” It nised this, and that the railroad nates and the rest of them are not yet fully convinced; but Mr Leacock declares that the most successful schools of commerce will not now attempt to teach the mechanism of business, because ”the solid, orthodox studies of the university prograroups, offer the ard to intellectual equipment, that the world has yet devised”

To the saiven by Mr HA Roberts, Secretary of the Cae Appointments Board (see _Minutes of Evidence taken before the Royal Commission on the Civil Service, 22nd November 1912-13th December 1912_, pp 66-73) The whole of this testimony deserves careful study For soreat business fir in ever increasing nuh in this case statistics do not appear to be available) for encies; to become, in fact, ”captains of industry” In the year before the war (1913-14) about 135 e University to coht naturally suppose that theno doubt to the greater nuht have been expected Graduates frohly proportional to the numbers in the various Tripos lists Shortly before the war an advertiseershi+p of sohtly--ended with the intiiven to a ree in Classical Honours

That ht be deemed to be proved by the steady increase in the number of applications made for their services There is, however, est business firms in the country testified to the saethe previous seven years 43 had done excellently well, two had left before their probationary period was ended to take up other work; and one only had proved unsatisfactory This evidence could easily be supplemented did space pers what is wanted--to begin with, at any rate--is not so ence

Another reason for thus choosing university men is not difficult to discover When Mr WL Hichens (Chairman of Cammell, Laird and Co) addressed the Incorporated association of Head university graduates for business he looked out for the ot a First in Greats or history, if he had worked--a man who had other interests as well, as President of the Common Room, who had been pleasant in the Coht,” or had done soet on with his fellow- on with men

The experience of Mr Hichens is so valuable that I cannot do better than quote further ”A big industrial organisation such as my firm, has, or should have threebranch, the commercial branch, and the research or laboratory branch I will not deal with the rank and file, but with the better educated apprentices, who expect to rise to positions of responsibility On the workshop side, we prefer that the lads should come to us between sixteen and seventeen, and, if possible (after serving an apprenticeshi+p in the shops and drawing office), that they should then go to a university and take an engineering course