a treatise on parents and children-第7部分

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

leads　to　obscenity；　it　has　no　application　to　children　except　as　an

imperative　reason　for　training　them　to　respect　other　people's

opinions；　and　to　insist　on　respect　for　their　own　in　these　as　in　other

important　matters　which　are　equally　dangerous：　　for　example；　money。

And　in　any　case　there　are　decisive　reasons；　superior；　like　the　reasons

for　suspending　conventional　reticences　between　doctor　and　patient；　to

all　considerations　of　mere　decorum；　for　giving　proper　instruction　in

the　facts　of　sex。　　Those　who　object　to　it　（not　counting　coarse　people

who　thoughtlessly　seize　every　opportunity　of　affecting　and　parading　a

fictitious　delicacy）　are；　in　effect；　advocating　ignorance　as　a

safeguard　against　precocity。　　If　ignorance　were　practicable　there

would　be　something　to　be　said　for　it　up　to　the　age　at　which　ignorance

is　a　danger　instead　of　a　safeguard。　　Even　as　it　is；　it　seems

undesirable　that　any　special　emphasis　should　be　given　to　the　subject；

whether　by　way　of　delicacy　and　poetry　or　too　impressive　warning。　　But

the　plain　fact　is　that　in　refusing　to　allow　the　child　to　be　taught　by

qualified　unrelated　elders　（the　parents　shrink　from　the　lesson；　even

when　they　are　otherwise　qualified；　because　their　own　relation　to　the

child　makes　the　subject　impossible　between　them）　we　are　virtually

arranging　to　have　our　children　taught　by　other　children　in　guilty

secrets　and　unclean　jests。　　And　that　settles　the　question　for　all

sensible　people。



The　dogmatic　objection；　the　sheer　instinctive　taboo　which　rules　the

subject　out　altogether　as　indecent；　has　no　age　limit。　　It　means　that

at　no　matter　what　age　a　woman　consents　to　a　proposal　of　marriage；　she

should　do　so　in　ignorance　of　the　relation　she　is　undertaking。　　When

this　actually　happens　（and　apparently　it　does　happen　oftener　than

would　seem　possible）　a　horrible　fraud　is　being　practiced　on　both　the

man　and　the　woman。　　He　is　led　to　believe　that　she　knows　what　she　is

promising；　and　that　he　is　in　no　danger　of　finding　himself　bound　to　a

woman　to　whom　he　is　eugenically　antipathetic。　　She　contemplates

nothing　but　such　affectionate　relations　as　may　exist　between　her　and

her　nearest　kinsmen；　and　has　no　knowledge　of　the　condition　which；　if

not　foreseen；　must　come　as　an　amazing　revelation　and　a　dangerous

shock；　ending　possibly　in　the　discovery　that　the　marriage　has　been　an

irreparable　mistake。　　Nothing　can　justify　such　a　risk。　　There　may　be

people　incapable　of　understanding　that　the　right　to　know　all　there　is

to　know　about　oneself　is　a　natural　human　right　that　sweeps　away　all

the　pretences　of　others　to　tamper　with　one's　consciousness　in　order　to

produce　what　they　choose　to　consider　a　good　character。　　But　they　must

here　bow　to　the　plain　mischievousness　of　entrapping　people　into

contracts　on　which　the　happiness　of　their　whole　lives　depends　without

letting　them　know　what　they　are　undertaking。







Alleged　Novelties　in　Modern　Schools



There　is　just　one　more　nuisance　to　be　disposed　of　before　I　come　to　the

positive　side　of　my　case。　　I　mean　the　person　who　tells　me　that　my

schooldays　belong　to　a　bygone　order　of　educational　ideas　and

institutions；　and　that　schools　are　not　now　a　bit　like　my　old　school。

I　reply；　with　Sir　Walter　Raleigh；　by　calling　on　my　soul　to　give　this

statement　the　lie。　　Some　years　ago　I　lectured　in　Oxford　on　the　subject

of　Education。　　A　friend　to　whom　I　mentioned　my　intention　said；　〃You

know　nothing　of　modern　education：　　schools　are　not　now　what　they　were

when　you　were　a　boy。〃　　I　immediately　procured　the　time　sheets　of　half

a　dozen　modern　schools；　and　found；　as　I　expected；　that　they　might　all

have　been　my　old　school：　　there　was　no　real　difference。　　I　may

mention；　too；　that　I　have　visited　modern　schools；　and　observed　that

there　is　a　tendency　to　hang　printed　pictures　in　an　untidy　and　soulless

manner　on　the　walls；　and　occasionally　to　display　on　the　mantel…shelf　a

deplorable　glass　case　containing　certain　objects　which　might　possibly；

if　placed　in　the　hands　of　the　pupils；　give　them　some　practical

experience　of　the　weight　of　a　pound　and　the　length　of　an　inch。　　And

sometimes　a　scoundrel　who　has　rifled　a　bird's　nest　or　killed　a

harmless　snake　encourages　the　children　to　go　and　do　likewise　by

putting　his　victims　into　an　imitation　nest　and　bottle　and　exhibiting

them　as　aids　to　〃Nature　study。〃　　A　suggestion　that　Nature　is　worth

study　would　certainly　have　staggered　my　schoolmasters；　so　perhaps　I

may　admit　a　gleam　of　progress　here。　　But　as　any　child　who　attempted　to

handle　these　dusty　objects　would　probably　be　caned；　I　do　not　attach

any　importance　to　such　modernities　in　school　furniture。　　The　school

remains　what　it　was　in　my　boyhood；　because　its　real　object　remains

what　it　was。　　And　that　object；　I　repeat；　is　to　keep　the　children　out

of　mischief：　　mischief　meaning　for　the　most　part　worrying　the

grown…ups。







What　is　to　be　Done？



The　practical　question；　then；　is　what　to　do　with　the　children。

Tolerate　them　at　home　we　will　not。　　Let　them　run　loose　in　the　streets

we　dare　not　until　our　streets　become　safe　places　for　children；　which；

to　our　utter　shame；　they　are　not　at　present；　though　they　can　hardly　be

worse　than　some　homes　and　some　schools。



The　grotesque　difficulty　of　making　even　a　beginning　was　brought　home

to　me　in　the　little　village　in　Hertfordshire　where　I　write　these　lines

by　the　lady　of　the　manor；　who　asked　me　very　properly　what　I　was　going

to　do　for　the　village　school。　　I　did　not　know　what　to　reply。　　As　the

school　kept　the　children　quiet　during　my　working　hours；　I　did　not　for

the　sake　of　my　own　personal　convenmence　want　to　blow　it　up　with

dynamite　as　I　should　like　to　blow　up　most　schools。　　So　I　asked　for

guidance。　　〃You　ought　to　give　a　prize；〃　said　the　lady。　　I　asked　if

there　was　a　prize　for　good　conduct。　　As　I　expected；　there　was：　　one

for　the　best…behaved　boy　and　another　for　the　best…behaved　girl。　　On

reflection　I　offered　a　handsome　prize　for　the　worst…behaved　boy　and

girl　on　condition　that　a　record　should　be　kept　of　their　subsequent

careers　and　compared　with　the　records　of　the　best…behaved；　in　order　to

ascertain　whether　the　school　criterion　of　good　conduct　was　valid　out

of　school。　　My　offer　was　refused　because　it　would　not　have　had　the

effect　of　encouraging　the　children　to　give　as　little　trouble　as

possible；　which　is　of　course　the　real　object　of　all　conduct　prizes　in

schools。



I　must　not　pretend；　then；　that　I　have　a　system　ready　to　replace　all

the　other　systems。　　Obstructing　the　way　of　the　proper　organization　of

childhood；　as　of　everything　else；　lies　our　ridiculous　misdistribution

of　the　national　income；　with　its　accompanying　class　distinctions　and

imposition　of　snobbery　on　children　as　a　necessary　part　of　their　social

training。　　The　result　of　our　economic　folly　is　that　we　are　a　nation　of

undesirable　acquaintances；　and　the　first　object　of　all　our

institutions　for　children　is　segregation。　　If；　for　example；　our

children　were　set　free　to　roam　and　play　about　as　they　pleased；　they

would　have　to　be　policed；　and　the　first　duty　of　the　police　in　a　State

like　ours　would　be　to　see　that　every　child　wore　a　badge　indicating　its

class　in　society；　and　that　every　child　seen　speaking　to　another　child

with　a　lower…class　badge；　or　any　child　wearing　a　higher　badge　than

that　allotted　to　it　by；　say；　the　College　of　Heralds；　should

immediately　be　skinned　alive　with　a　birch　rod。　　It　might　even　be

insisted　that　girls　with　high…class　badges　should　be　attended　by

footmen；　grooms；　or　even　military　escorts。　　In　short；　there　is　hardly

any　limit　to　the　follies　with　which　our　Commercialism　would　infect　any

system　that　it　would　tolerate　at　all。　　But　something　like　a　change　of

heart　is　still　possible；　and　since　all　the　evils　of　snobbery　and

segregation　are　rampant　in　our　schools　at　present　we　may　as　well　make

the　best　as　the　worst　of　them。







Children's　Rights　and　Duties



Now　let　us　ask　what　are　a　child's　rights；　and　what　are　the　rights　of

society　over　the　child。　　Its　rights；　being　clearly　those　of　any　other

human　being；　are　summed　up　in　the　right　to　live：　　that　is；　to　have　all

the　conclusive　arguments　that　prove　that　it　would　be　better　dead；　that

it　is　a　child　of　wrath；　that　the　population　is　already　excessive；　that

the　pains　of　life　are　greater　than　its　pleasures；　that　its　sacrifice

in　a　hospital　or　laboratory　experiment　might　save　millions　of　lives；

etc。　etc。　etc。；　put　out　of　the　question；　and　its　existence　accepted　as

necessary　and　sacred；　all　theories　to　the　contrary　notwithstanding；

whether　by　Calvin　or　Schopenhauer　or　Pasteur　or　the　nearest　person

with　a　taste　for　infanticide。　　And　this　right　to　live　includes；　and　in

fact　is；　the　right　to　be　what　the　child　likes　and　can；　to　do　what　it

likes　and　can；　to　make　what　it　likes　and　can；　to　think　what　it　likes

and　can；　to　smash　what　it　dislikes　and　can；　and　generally　to　behave　in

an　altogether　unaccountable　manner　within　the　limits　imposed　by　the

similar　rights　of　its　neighbors。　　And　the　rights　of　society　over　it

clearly　extend　to　requiring　it　to　qualify　itself　to　live　in　society

without　wasting　other　peoples　time：　　that　is；　it　must　know　the　rules

of　the　road；　be　able　to　read　placards　and　proclamations；　fill　voting

papers；　compose　and　send　letters　and　telegrams；　purchase　food　and

clothing　and　railway　tickets　for　itself；　count　money　and　give　and　take

change；　and；　generally；　know　how　many　beans　made　five。　　It　must　know

some　law；　were　it　only　a　simple　set　of　commandments；　some　political

economy；　agriculture　enough　to　shut　the　gates　of　fields　with　cattle　in

them　and　not　to　trample　on　growing　crops；　sanitation　enough　not　to

defile　its　haunts；　and　religion　enough　to　have　some　idea　of　why　it　is

allowed　its　rights　and　why　it　must　respect　the　rights　of　others。　　And

the　rest　of　its　education　must　consist　of　anything　else　it　can　pick

up；　for　beyond　this　society　cannot　go　with　any