a treatise on parents and children(父母与子女专题研究)-第24章
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Not too much Wind on the Heath；
Brother
What； then； is to be done？ For the present； unfortunately； little except
propagating the conception of Children's Rights。 Only the achievement
of economic equality through Socialism can make it possible to deal
thoroughly with the question from the point of view of the total interest of
the community； which must always consist of grown…up children。 Yet
economic equality； like all simple and obvious arrangements； seems
impossible to people brought up as children are now。 Still； something
can be done even within class limits。 Large communities of children of
the same class are possible today； and voluntary organization of outdoor
life for children has already begun in Boy Scouting and excursions of one
kind or another。 The discovery that anything； even school life； is better
for the child than home life； will become an over…ridden hobby； and we
shall presently be told by our faddists that anything； even camp life； is
better than school life。 Some blundering beginnings of this are already
perceptible。 There is a movement for making our British children into
priggish little barefooted vagabonds； all talking like that born fool George
Borrow； and supposed to be splendidly healthy because they would die if
they slept in rooms with the windows shut； or perhaps even with a roof
over their heads。 Still； this is a fairly healthy folly； and it may do
something to establish Mr Harold Cox's claim of a Right to Roam as the
basis of a much needed law compelling proprietors of land to provide
plenty of gates in their fences； and to leave them unlocked when there are
no growing crops to be damaged nor bulls to be encountered； instead of； as
at present； imprisoning the human race in dusty or muddy thoroughfares
between walls of barbed wire。
The reaction against vagabondage will come from the children
themselves。 For them freedom will not mean the expensive kind of
savagery now called 〃the simple life。〃 Their natural disgust with the
visions of cockney book fanciers blowing themselves out with 〃the wind
on the heath； brother；〃 and of anarchists who are either too weak to
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
understand that men are strong and free in proportion to the social pressure
they can stand and the complexity of the obligations they are prepared to
undertake； or too strong to realize that what is freedom to them may be
terror and bewilderment to others； will drive them back to the home and
the school if these have meanwhile learned the lesson that children are
independent human beings and have rights。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Wanted： a Child's Magna Charta
Whether we shall presently be discussing a Juvenile Magna Charta or
Declaration of Rights by way of including children in the Constitution is a
question on which I leave others to speculate。 But if it could once be
established that a child has an adult's Right of Egress from uncomfortable
places and unpleasant company； and there were children's lawyers to sue
pedagogues and others for assault and imprisonment； there would be an
amazing change in the behavior of schoolmasters； the quality of school
books； and the amenities of school life。 That Consciousness of Consent
which； even in its present delusive form； has enabled Democracy to oust
tyrannical systems in spite of all its vulgarities and stupidities and rancors
and ineptitudes and ignorances； would operate as powerfully among
children as it does now among grown…ups。 No doubt the pedagogue
would promptly turn demagogue； and woo his scholars by all the arts of
demagogy； but none of these arts can easily be so dishonorable or
mischievous as the art of caning。 And； after all； if larger liberties are
attached to the acquisition of knowledge； and the child finds that it can no
more go to the seaside without a knowledge of the multiplication and
pence tables than it can be an astronomer without mathematics； it will
learn the multiplication table； which is more than it always does at present；
in spite of all the canings and keepings in。
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The Pursuit of Learning
When the Pursuit of Learning comes to mean the pursuit of learning
by the child instead of the pursuit of the child by Learning； cane in hand；
the danger will be precocity of the intellect； which is just as undesirable as
precocity of the emotions。 We still have a silly habit of talking and
thinking as if intellect were a mechanical process and not a passion； and in
spite of the German tutors who confess openly that three out of every five
of the young men they coach for examinations are lamed for life thereby；
in spite of Dickens and his picture of little Paul Dombey dying of lessons；
we persist in heaping on growing children and adolescent youths and
maidens tasks Pythagoras would have declined out of common regard for
his own health and common modesty as to his own capacity。 And this
overwork is not all the effect of compulsion； for the average schoolmaster
does not compel his scholars to learn： he only scolds and punishes them
if they do not； which is quite a different thing； the net effect being that the
school prisoners need not learn unless they like。 Nay； it is sometimes
remarked that the school duncemeaning the one who does not likeoften
turns out well afterwards； as if idleness were a sign of ability and character。
A much more sensible explanation is that the so…called dunces are not
exhausted before they begin the serious business of life。 It is said that
boys will be boys； and one can only add one wishes they would。 Boys
really want to be manly； and are unfortunately encouraged thoughtlessly in
this very dangerous and overstraining aspiration。 All the people who
have really worked （Herbert Spencer for instance） warn us against work as
earnestly as some people warn us against drink。 When learning is placed
on the voluntary footing of sport； the teacher will find himself saying
every day 〃Run away and play： you have worked as much as is good for
you。〃 Trying to make children leave school will be like trying to make
them go to bed； and it will be necessary to surprise them with the idea that
teaching is work； and that the teacher is tired and must go play or rest or
eat： possibilities always concealed by that infamous humbug the current
schoolmaster； who achieves a spurious divinity and a witch doctor's
authority by persuading children that he is not human； just as ladies
