The Press Saturday, March 5, 1927. An Old Roman Educationist.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18942, 5 March 1927, Page 14

The Press Saturday, March 5, 1927. An Old Roman Educationist.

j It i.i perhaps worth pointing out, now that Canterbury College is starling a ! new see*ion, that the recent Conference of Educational Associations in London inude one or two passing allusions to Quintilian— allusions -which, unfortunately, did not betray any very | intimate acquaintance with that | distinguished teacher and -writer |of the first century, A.D. In truth, of late decades the teaching profession has been disposed to ignore Quititilian: and it is well that they should be reminded occasionally that he cannot be ignored without serious loss to thetn.-elvci. Classical scholars fully recognise his worth as a piece ot literature: liis vivacity, common sense, resourcefulness, quiet humour, and sound logic. But for teachers as teachers his importance has not diminished, if teachers would only recognise the fact. No doubt, social and educational conditions have undergone a vast change since the " Insti"tutio Oratoria'' was written. We do not now make it the supreme aim and end of our educational machinery to make orators of our boys and train them for a forensic or political career. It is quite true that, in the higher Roman soeiety of that period, exaggerated importance was attached to such training. But let us look a little more closely. In the hands of a great master schools of '* rhetoric " could become channels of high culture, sound and appreciative knowledge of the best literature, a regulated and artistic command of language. More than that, at least in Quintilian's ideal, the moulding of character was at the foundation of the whole system. His ideal orator was a " very perfect "gentleman." He says: "The perfect "orator is a perfect man; he is possessed of every virtue. We must not " leave training in virtue to the "philosophers." He aims always at broadening the foundations of his curriculum. In the training of an orator he includes mathematics and music. Especially in his enthusiasm for music ho follows Pinto. It gives a harmonious rhythm to the soul, melody to the voice in speaking, and rhythmical movement to the body. Even the science of mathematics contributes to the development of the orator, not only by the subtlety of mind which the study of it engenders, but by its use of order and deductive proof, and its power of detecting fallacies. It is characteristic of Quintilian to give scope and ezpansivencss to what seems on the face of it a highly specialised course of training.

But of oven greater interest to modern teachers should be the maxims and principles of education in general, which are scattered up and down through «Quintilian's work, a few of which it is. worth, while'to quote here. Corporal punishment, at any stage or in any form, is:absolutely banned; it degrades and hardens and does not improve. '• Tho child, from the earliest dawn of its faculties, should be surrounded by educated people; even its nurse should speak correctly. Faults of language acquired in childhood are not easily dropped. It is at the earliest age that the best teaching is required: witness Philip's selection of Aristotle as first tutor for his son Alexander. The average child is intelligent and eager for knowledge; it is. the fault of his training if he ceases to be so. Attainment is always lower ♦lmn the ideal aimed at; therefore the ideal must be pitched high. At the earliest stage all mental work should take the form of amusement. The great object-of education is to create or foster mental activity in the student.- As one cannot put into a vessel more than it will contain, so do not pour into a child's mind more knowledge than it can thoroughly absorb. Precocity and superficial quickness, though pleasing for the time, are deceptive, and wither away without bearing any fruit. Delight in play is a healthy sign, and apathy in games bodes ill for success at books. One precept of Quintilian's is refreshing at the present day, when there is so much nonsense talked about a boy's or girl's mind being muddled by a multiplicity of subjects. We translate the following from tho text: " As a "matter of fact boyhood is just the "time when this multiplication of interests is' easily borne. The boy's "mind is very malleable. Observe " how instinctively he learns his "mother-tongue. Again, boys arc " very unsusceptible to fatigue, largely " because . they do not consciAisly "measure their effort. It is this consciousness which-really wearies us "elders more than the effort itself." On the time-honoured problem of a choice between private and school education, Quintilian lets himself go. As an old teacher he emphatically supports the latter. One may briefly summarise his argument. Private education, he says, is defended on two grounds: the fear of moral corruption in schools; and the belief that a solitary pupil gets better and more concentrated attention. The former of these grounds is infinitely the more important. But is it only at schools thnt our boys' morals arc corrupted ? Are they not much more likely to be corrupted by the licentious lives and evil example of their own parents and domestics? On the other band, careful guardianship can protect them at tchool. As to individual instruction, it is certainly veil to supplement, the school teaching with some private help; but. a master with only one boy to attend to wilt have many idle hours a day on his hands. Moreover, the best teachers are to be found in the schools, attracted by their atmosphere of.stimulating activity; while only inferior men' axe attracted by private

w>rk. Be?ide;, rao.-t instruction is of . nature to reach a whole class at the -,imc time, as the sunlight reaches the world. There arc positive advantages <>rt both side.--. The master, with a cl:i.-\> before him hanging on his words, i.« itiurh more inspired and stimulated than if he were holding forth to a single pupil. And. for the boy, isolation produces apathy or conceit, and ,i shrinking nervousness when the world has at last to be faced. In school, ton. lie learns from the corrections, warnings, or praises administered to his companions. The school, acain, is the seed-ground of friendships; and. above all. it is the arena of emulation and competition. Give me the boy whom praise excites, whom love of glory warms. And, finally, the younger hoys must have somebody to imitate. The master is too far above them. We all know how a little chap makes a god or a hero of the champion of a school. All this has a modern rinjr: all the more honour to the man who wrote it nearly nineteen centuries ago.