a new view of society-第19节

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　to　one　child　in　the　empire　should　not　for　a　moment　be　entertained。　　　　　Several　plans　have　been　lately　proposed　for　the　national　education　of　the　poor；　but　these　have　not　been　calculated　to　effect　all　that　a　national　system　of　education　of　the　poor　ought　to　accomplish。　　　　　For　the　authors　and　supporters　of　these　systems　we　feel　those　sentiments　which　the　principles　developed　throughout　these　Essays　must　create　in　any　minds　on　which　they　have　been　early　and　effectually　impressed；　and　we　are　desirous　of　rendering　their　labours　for　the　community　as　extensively　beneficial　as　they　can　be　made。　To　fulfil；　however；　a　great　and　important　public　duty；　the　plans　which　they　have　devised　must　be　considered　as　though　they　had　been　produced　and　published　in　the　days　of　antiquity。　　　　　The　plans　alluded　to　are　those　of　the　Rev。　Dr　Bell；　Mr　Joseph　Lancaster；　and　Mr　Whitbread。　　　　　The　systems　of　Dr　Bell　and　Mr　Lancaster；　for　instructing　the　poor　in　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　prove　the　extreme　ignorance　which　previously　existed　in　the　manner　of　training　the　young；　for　it　is　in　the　manner　alone　of　giving　instruction　that　these　new　systems　are　an　improvement　on　the　modes　of　instruction　which　were　formerly　practised。　　　　　The　arrangement　of　the　room　and　many　of　the　details　in　Mr　Lancaster's　plan；　are；　in　some　respects；　better　calculated　to　give　instruction　in　the　elements　enumerated；　than　those　recommended　by　Dr　Bell；　although　some　of　the　details　introduced　by　the　latter　are　very　superior；　and　highly　deserving　of　adoption。　　　　　The　essence；　however；　of　national　training　and　education　is　to　impress　on　the　young；　ideas　and　habits　which　shall　contribute　to　the　future　happiness　of　the　individuals　and　of　the　state；　and　this　can　be　accomplished　only　by　instructing　them　to　become　rational　beings。　　　　　It　must　be　evident　to　common　observers。　that　children　may　be　taught；　by　either　Dr　Bell's　or　Mr　Lancaster's　system；　to　read；　write；　account；　and　sew；　and　yet　acquire　the　worst　habits；　and　have　their　minds　rendered　irrational　for　life。　　　　　Reading　and　writing　are　merely　instruments　by　which　knowledge　either　true　or　false；　may　be　imparted；　and；　when　given　to　children；　are　of　little　comparative　value；　unless　they　are　also　taught　how　to　make　a　proper　use　of　them。　　　　　When　a　child　receives　a　full　and　fair　explanation　of　the　objects　and　characters　around　him；　and　when　he　is　also　taught　to　reason　correctly；　so　that　he　may　learn　to　discover　general　truths　from　falsehood；　he　will　be　much　better　instructed；　although　without　the　knowledge　of　one　letter　or　figure；　than　those　are　who　have　been　compelled　to　believe；　and　whose　reasoning　faculties　have　been　confounded　or　destroyed　by　what　is　most　erroneously　termed　learning。　　　　　It　is　readily　acknowledged　that　the　manner　of　instructing　children　is　of　importance　and　deserves　all　the　attention　it　has　lately　received；　that　those　who　discover　or　introduce　improvements　which　facilitate　the　acquirement　of　knowledge　are　important　benefactors　of　their　fellow　creatures。　Yet　the　manner　of　giving　instruction　is　one　thing；　the　instruction　itself　another；　and　no　two　objects　can　be　more　distinct。　The　worst　manner　may　be　applied　to　give　the　best　instruction；　and　the　best　manner　to　give　the　worst　instruction。　Were　the　real　importance　of　both　to　be　estimated　by　numbers；　the　manner　of　instruction　may　be　compared　to　one；　and　the　matter　of　instruction　to　millions：　the　first　is　the　means　only；　the　last；　the　end　to　be　accomplished　by　those　means。　　　　　If；　therefore；　in　a　national　system　of　education　for　the　poor；　it　be。　desirable　to　adopt　the　best　manner；　it　is　surely　so　much　the　more　desirable　to　adopt　also　the　best　matter；　of　instruction。　　　　　Either　give　the　poor　a　rational　and　useful　training；　or　mock　not　their　ignorance；　their　poverty；　and　their　misery；　by　merely　instructing　them　to　become　conscious　of　the　extent　of　the　degradation　under　which　they　exist。　And；　therefore；　in　pity　to　suffering　humanity；　either　keep　the　poor；　if　you　now　can；　in　the　state　of　the　most　abject　ignorance；　as　near　as　possible　to　animal　life；　or　at　once　determine　to　form　them　into　rational　beings；　into　useful　and　effective　members　of　the　state。　　　　　Were　it　possible；　without　national　prejudice；　to　examine　into　the　matter　of　instruction　which　is　now　given　in　some　of　our　boasted　new　systems　for　the　instruction　of　the　poor；　it　would　be　found　to　be　almost　as　wretched　as　any　which　can　be　devised。　In　proof　of　this　statement；　enter　any　one　of　the　schools　denominated　national；　and　request　the　master　to　show　the　acquirements　of　the　children。　These　are　called　out；　and　he　asks　them　theological　questions　to　which　men　of　the　most　profound　erudition　cannot　make　a　rational　reply；　the　children；　however；　readily　answer　as　they　had　been　previously　instructed；　for　memory；　in　this　mockery　of　learning；　is　all　that　is　required。　　　　　Thus　the　child　whose　natural　faculty　of　comparing　ideas；　or　whose　rational　powers；　shall　be　the　soonest　destroyed；　if；　at　the　same　time；　he　possess　a　memory　to　retain　incongruities　without　connection；　will　become　what　is　termed　the　first　scholar　in　the　class；　and　three…fourths　of　the　time　which　ought　to　be　devoted　to　the　acquirement　of　useful　instruction；　will　be　really　occupied　in　destroying　the　mental　powers　of　the　children。　　　　　To　those　accustomed　attentively　to　notice　the　human　countenance　from　infancy　to　age；　in　the　various　classes　and　religious　denominations　of　the　British　population；　it　is　truly　an　instructive　although　melancholy　employment；　to　observe　in　the　countenances　of　the　poor　children　in　these　schools　the　evident　expression　of　mental　injury　derived　from　the　well…intentioned；　but　most　mistaken；　plan　of　their　instruction。　　　　　It　is　an　important　lesson；　because　it　affords　another　recent　and　striking　example　to　the　millions　which　previously　existed；　of　the　ease　with　which　children　may　be　taught　to　receive　any　sectarian　notions；　and　thence　acquire　any　habits；　however　contrary　to　their　real　happiness。　　　　　To　those　trained　to　become　truly　conscientious　in　any　of　the　present　sectarian　errors　which　distract　the　world；　this　free　exposure　of　the　weakness　of　the　peculiar　tenets　in　which　such　individuals　have　been　instructed；　will；　at　first；　excite　feelings　of　high　displeasure　and　horror；　and　these　feelings　will　be　acute　and　poignant　in　proportion　to　the　obvious　and　irresistible　evidence　on　which　the　disclosure　of　their　errors　is　founded。　　　　　Let　them；　however；　begin　to　think　calmly　on　these　subjects；　to　examine　their　own　minds　and　the　minds　of　all　around　them；　and　they　will　become　conscious　of　the　absurdities　and　inconsistencies　in　which　their　forefathers　have　trained　them；　they　will　then　abhor　the　errors　by　which　they　have　been　so　long　abused；　and；　with　an　earnestness　not　to　be　resisted；　they　will　exert　their　utmost　faculties　to　remove　the　cause　of　so　much　misery　to　man。　　　　　Enough　surely　has　now　been　said　of　the　manner　and　matter　of　instruction　in　these　new　systems；　to　exhibit　them　in　a　just　and　true　light。　　　　　The　improvements　in　the　manner　of　teaching　children　whatever　may　be　deemed　proper　for　them　to　learn　…　improvements　which；　we　may　easily　predict；　will　soon　receive　great　additions　and　amendments　have　proceeded　from　the　Rev。　Dr　Bell　and　Mr　Lancaster；　while　the　errors　which　their　respective　systems　assist　to　engrave　on　the　ductile　mind　of　infancy　and　childhood；　are　derived　from　times　when　ignorance　gave　countenance　to　every　kind　of　absurdity。　　　　　Mr　Whitbread's　scheme　for　the　education　of　the　poor　was　evidently　the　production　of　an　ardent　mind　possessing　considerable　abilities；　his　mind；　however；　had　been　irregularly　formed　by　the　errors　of　his　early　education；　and　this　was　most　conspicuous　in　the　speech　which　introduced　the　plan　he　had　devised　to　the　House　of　Commons；　and　in　the　plan　itself。　　　　　The　first　was　a　clear　exposition　of　all　the　reasons　for　the　education　of　the　poor　which　could　be　expected　from　a　human　being　trained　from　infancy　under　the　systems　in　which　Mr　Whitbread　had　been　instructed。　　　　　The　plan　itself　evinced　the　fallacy　of　the　principles　which　he　had　imbibed；　and　showed　that　he　had　not　acquired　a　practical　knowledge　of　the　feelings　and　habits　of　the　poor；　or　of　the　only　effectual　means　by　which　they　could　be　trained　to　be　useful　to　themselves　and　to　the　community。　　　　　Had　Mr　Whitbread　not　been　trained；　as　almost　all　the　Members　of　both　Houses　of　Parliament　have　been；　in　delusive　theories；　devoid　of　rational　foundation；　which　prevent　them　from　acquiring　any　extensive　practical　knowledge　of　human　nature；　he　would　not　have　committed　a　plan　for　the　national　education　of　the　poor　to　the　sole　management　and　direction　of　the　ministers；　churchwardens；　and　overseers　of　parishes；　whose　present　interests　must　have　appeared　to　be　opposed　to　the　measure。　　　　　He　would　surely；　first；　have　devised　a　plan　to　make　it　the　evident　interest　of　the　ministers；　churchwardens；　and　overseers；　to　co…operate　in　giving　efficacy　to　the　system　which　he　wished　to　introduce　to　their　superintendence；　and　also　to　render　them；　by　previous　training；　competent　to　that　superintendence　for　which　now　they　are　in　general　unprepared。　For；　trained　as　these　individuals　have　hitherto　been；　they　must　be　deficient　in　the　practical　knowledge　necessary　to　enable　them　successfully　to　direct　the