I explained patiently that I was not the village constable1, and I told him that the broken branch had nothing to do with me. He became angry, but he became speechless when I said, "I sympathise with you. Had it been my garden I should have sworn possibly harder than you have done. On the other hand, had it been twenty years ago and my kite, well, I should have done exactly what the boy did. Good morning."
Although it was no concern of mine I called the boy out, and advised him to try[Pg 117] to think of other people. Then I addressed the bairns. "You might convey to your parents," I said, "that I am not the policeman in this village; I'm a schoolmaster."
I think that many parents are annoyed at my giving up punishment. They feel that I am not doing their work for them; they think that the dominie should do the training of children ... other people's children, not their own. I find that I am trying to do a very difficult thing. The home influence is bad in many cases; the children hear their parents slight the teacher, and they do not know what to think. The average parent looks upon the teacher as an enemy. If I hit a boy the parents side with him, if I don't hit the boy who hit their boy, they indignantly ask what education is coming to. Many a night I feel disheartened. I find that I am on the side of the bairns. I am against law and discipline; I am all for freedom of action.
* * *
At last I have attained2 my ambition. As a boy my great ambition was to possess a cavalry3 trumpet4 and bugle5. I have just[Pg 118] bought both. I call the bairns to school with "Stables" or the "Fall In," and I gleefully look forward to playtime so that I may have another tootle. The bairns love to hear the calls, but I think I enjoy them most.
I try hard to share the bairns' joys. At present I am out with them every day flying kites, and I never tire of this. The boys bring me their comic papers, but I find that I cannot laugh at them as I used to do. Yet, I like to see Chips; Weary Willie and Tired Tim are still figuring on the front page, but their pristine6 glory is gone. When I first knew them they were the creation of Tom Browne, and no artist can follow Tom in his own line.
I miss the old "bloods"; I used to glory in the exploits of Frank Reade and Deadwood Dick. I have sat on a Sunday with Deadwood Dick in the covers of a family Bible, and my old grandmother patted my head and told me I was a promising7 lad.
Then there was Buffalo8 Bill—tuppence coloured; I never see his name now. I wonder why so many parents and teachers cuff9 boys' heads when they find them reading comic papers and "bloods." I see no harm[Pg 119] in either. I wish that people would get out of the absurd habit of taking it for granted that whatever a boy does is wrong. I hold that a boy is nearly always right.
I see in to-day's Scotsman that a Sheriff substitute in Edinburgh has sentenced two brothers of nine and ten to twelve stripes with the birch rod for stealing tuppence ha'penny. The account remarked that the brothers had previously10 had a few stripes for a similar theft. That punishment is no prevention is proved in this case.
The Sheriff Substitute must have a very definite idea of righteousness; I envy him his conscience free from all remembrance of shortcomings in the past. For my part had I been sitting in judgment11 on the poor laddies I should have recollected12 the various times I have travelled first with a third ticket, sneaked14 into circuses by lifting the tent cover, laid farthings on the railway so that they might become ha'pennies, or, with a special piece of luck—a goods train—pennies. Then I should have invited the boys to tea, and sent them home with Comic Cuts, two oranges, and a considerable bit of chewing gum. Anyhow, my method would have brought out[Pg 120] any good in the boys. The method of the judge will bring out no good; it may make the boys feel that they are enemies of society. And I should like to ask the gentleman what he would do if his young son stole the jam. I'm sure he would not send for the birch rod. The damnable thing about the whole affair is that he is probably a very nice kindly15 man who would not whip a dog with his own hand. His misfortune is his being part of a system.
* * *
I have just added a few volumes to my school library. I tried to recollect13 the books that I liked as a youth; then I wrote for catalogues of "sevenpennies." The new books include these:—The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel, Rupert of Hentzau, King Solomon's Mines, Montezuma's Daughter, The Four Feathers, A Gentleman of France, White Fang16, The Call of the Wild, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The War in the Air, Dr. Nikola, A Bid for Fortune, Micah Clarke. I find that the average bairn of thirteen cannot appreciate these stories. Margaret Steel was the only one who read The Scarlet17 Pimpernel and asked for the sequel. Most of them stuck half way with Zenda. Guy Boothby's novels,[Pg 121] the worst of the lot possibly, appealed to them strongly. The love element bores the boys, but the girls rather like it. One boy sat and yawned over King Solomon's Mines; then he took out a coloured comic and turned to the serial18. I took the book away and told him to read the serial. Violet Brown prefers a book about giants from the infant room to all the romantic stories extant. After all, they are but children.
* * *
I am delighted with my sketching19 results. We go out every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, and many bairns are giving me good work. We usually end up with races or wading20 in the sea. There was much wonder when first they saw my bare feet, but now they take my feet for granted.
Modesty21 is strong here. The other day the big girls came to me and asked if they could come to school slipshod.
"You can come in your nighties for all I care," I said, and they gasped22.
We sit outside all day now. My classes take books and wander away down the road and lie on the banks. When I want them I call with the bugle. Each class has a "regimental[Pg 122] call," and they come promptly23. They most of them sit down separately, but the chatterers like to sit together.
I force no bairn to learn in my school. The few who dislike books and lessons sit up when I talk to the class. The slackers are not always the most ignorant.
I am beginning to compliment myself on having a good temper. For the past six weeks I have left the manual room open at playtime and the boys have made many toys. But they have made a woeful mess of the cutting tools. It is trying to find that your favourite plane has been cracked by a boy who has extreme theories on the fixing of plane irons. But it is very comforting to know that the School Board will have to pay for the damage. Yes, my temper is excellent.
* * *
On Saturday I went to a Bazaar24, and various members of the aristocracy talked to me. They talked very much in the manner they talk to their gardeners, and I was led to muse25 upon the social status of a dominie. What struck me most was the fact that they imitate royalty26 in the broaching27 of topics of conversation; I knew that I presumed[Pg 123] when I entered new ground of conversation. The ladies were very polite and very regal, and very well pleased with themselves. One of them said: "I hope that you do your best to make these children realise that there are classes in society; so many of their parents refuse to see the good in other classes!"
"For my part," I answered, "I acknowledge one aristocracy—the aristocracy of intellect. I teach my children to have respect for thinking." She stared at me, and went away.
I am not prejudiced against the county people, but any superiority of manner annoys me. I simply have no use for ladies who live drifting lives. The lady-bountifuls, or should it be the ladies-bountiful? of Britain would be much better as typists; in these days of alleged28 scarcity29 of labour they might come down and mix with the lower orders. Their grace and breeding would do much to improve us, and we might be able to help them in some ways. I am not being cynical30, I have a genuine admiration31 for the breeding and beauty of some society women.
The doctor and the minister are seldom patronised. I cannot for the life of me see[Pg 124] why it is more lowly to cure a child of ignorance than measles32.
I have heard it said that the real reason of the teacher's low social status is the fact that very often he is the son of a humble33 labourer. There is some truth in this. At the Training College and the University the student meets men of his own class only; he never learns the little tricks of deportment that make up society's criterion of a gentleman. But for my part I blame the circumstances under which a dominie works. In Scotland he is the servant of a School Board, and a School Board is generally composed of men who have but the haziest34 notion of the meaning of education. That is bad enough, but very often there is a feud35 between one or two members and the teacher. Perhaps the teacher does not get his coals from Mr. Brown the Chairman, perhaps Mr. Brown voted for another man when the appointment was made. It is difficult for a man who is ruled by a few low-idealed semi-illiterate farmers and pig-dealers to emphasise36 his social position.
Larger areas have been spoken of by politicians. Personally, I don't want larger areas;[Pg 125] I want to see the profession run by the members, just as Law and Medicine are. It is significant that the medical profession has dropped considerably37 in the social scale since it allowed itself to work under the Insurance Act.
My ideal is an Education Guild38 which will replace the Scotch39 Education Department. It will draw up its own scheme of instruction, fix the salaries of its members, appoint its own inspectors41, build its own schools. It will be directly responsible to the State which will remain the supreme42 authority.
I blame the teachers for their low social status. To-day they have no idea of corporate43 action. They pay their subscriptions44 to their Institute, and for the most part talk of stopping them on the ground that it is money wasted. The authorities of the Institute try to work for a better union, but they try clumsily and stodgily45. They never write or talk forcibly; they resemble the Labour Members of Parliament in their having an eager desire to be respectable at any price. I don't know why it is, but when a professional man tries to put his thoughts on paper he almost always succeeds in saving nothing in many fine phrases.
[Pg 126]
What is really wrong with the Educational Institute of Scotland is hoary-headedness. It is run by old men and old wives. A big man in the Institute is usually a teacher with thirty years' experience as a headmaster. Well ... if a man can teach under the present system for thirty years and retain any originality46 or imagination at the end of that time he must be a genius.
I object to age and experience; I am all for youth and empiricism. After all, what is the use of experience in teaching? I could bet my boots that ninety-nine out of a hundred teachers use the methods they learned as pupil-teachers. Experience! I have heard dominies expatiate47 on innovations like Kindergarten and Blackboard Drawing. I still have to meet a dominie of experience who has any name but "fad48" for anything in education later than 1880.
I have never tried to define the word "fad." I should put it thus:—A fad is a half-formed idea that a sub-inspector40 has borrowed from a bad translation of a distinguished49 foreigner's treatise50 on Education, and handed on to a deferential51 dominie.
* * *
[Pg 127]
An inspector called to-day; a middle-aged52 kindly gentleman with a sharp eye. His chief interest in life was tables.
"How many pence in fifty-seven farthings?" he fired at my highest class. When he found that they had to divide mentally by four, he became annoyed.
"They ought to know their tables," he said to me.
"What tables?" I asked.
"O, they should learn up that; why I can tell you at once what sixty-nine farthings are."
I explained humbly53 that I couldn't, and should never acquire the skill.
I did not like his manner of talking at the teacher through the class. When an inspector says, "You ought to know this," the scholars glance at the teacher, for they are shrewd enough to see that the teacher is being condemned54.
He fired his parting shot as he went out.
"You must learn not to talk in school," he said.
I am a peaceful man, and I hate a scene. I said nothing, but I shall do nothing. If he returns he will find no difference in the school.
[Pg 128]
The bairns did talk to each other when the inspector talked to me, but when he asked for attention he got it.
I am surprised to find that his visit does not worry me; I have at last lost my fear of the terror of teaching—H.M.I.S.
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1
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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2
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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3
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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4
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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6
pristine
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| adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的 | |
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7
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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8
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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10
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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11
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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12
recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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14
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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15
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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16
fang
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| n.尖牙，犬牙 | |
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17
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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18
serial
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| n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的 | |
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19
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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20
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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21
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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22
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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23
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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24
bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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25
muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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26
royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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27
broaching
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| n.拉削；推削；铰孔；扩孔v.谈起( broach的现在分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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28
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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29
scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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30
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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31
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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32
measles
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| n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子 | |
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33
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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34
haziest
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| 有薄雾的( hazy的最高级 )； 模糊的； 不清楚的； 糊涂的 | |
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35
feud
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| n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇 | |
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36
emphasise
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| vt.加强...的语气，强调，着重 | |
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37
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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38
guild
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| n.行会，同业公会，协会 | |
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39
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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40
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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41
inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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42
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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43
corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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44
subscriptions
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| n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助 | |
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45
stodgily
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46
originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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47
expatiate
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| v.细说，详述 | |
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48
fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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49
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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50
treatise
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| n.专著；(专题)论文 | |
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51
deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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52
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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53
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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54
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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