COMPULSION IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 1 (Supplement)

COMPULSION IN SCHOOLS.

A DEADENING INFLUENCE, j BY H. BINSTED. | It would be difficult to find a more arresting criticism of the present educational system than that" recently de- ] lieved by Professor Shelley. The hostile criticism to which the professor's ! speech has already been subjected, must i lead to either a justification or a recan-tation-—possibly a modification. Recantation, however, is not merely improbable— is impossible, for the views set out are based on the doctrines of all the great educators since Rcusseau, who first showed the fallacy of a system which regarded the child as naturally possessed of an evil nature that must be entirely replaced by an artificial creation. Further, the biological researches carried out in recent years with the object of determining the basis of human conduct have indisputably proved the soundness of much that is referred to in the address. Finally, exhaustive tests have been carried out in England and America with the object of subjecting the new ideals to the fire of experience dual tests which permitted equal opportunity to both the old and the new methods— with the result that it is no longer possible to doubt that the methods of the last halfcentury are subversive of true education. " Compulsion is the key to the present methods." This is an extremely severe criticism, and I venture to sav that it is not nearly bo applicable to teaching in New Zealand schools as one might infer from the bald statement above. Nevertheless it is common enough, and meets with a considerable body of approval. The reasons most usually given for the general application of compulsion are that children cannot be expected to control themselves, and that compelling children to master a difficult operation in some mysterious way develops their will power. These views have led to the absolute prohibition of movement, and the enforcing of complete silence passing for "good discipline." Mechanical Obedience and Self-Control. If we analyse the position it is easy to see the fallacy that lies in this theory. When we exercise self-control we do so for. some originally, no doubt, self-control was essential to safety from dangerous animals. But here the purpose of the child is merely to escape the punishment of the teacher. On the other hand the purpose may be the gaining of some *' bait " offered to secure the desired silence. Surely both of these are very low motives to instil in a child's mind. Worse still, is the fact that oh the removal of the compulsion or the reward the self-control vanishes. Curiously enough, the advocates of the "mechanical obedience" theory seem to think that those who espouse the new education believe in making things interesting by adding some diverting attraction in the hope that while the child is enjoying the pleasant part he will somehow absorb the desired lesson, or form the desired habits of self-control. It is no wonder that the compulsionists think they have the laugh of the idealists; but they are entirely wrong. The new methods take the child's natural instincts and use them as the basis dor the formation of habits of self-control, and most of the other virtues. Nothing has been'more clearly proved by biological research, supplemented by. observation of .common phenomena, than that habits based On instincts are far more permanent than those formed otherwise. To take a very simple example: A newly-born calf is possessed of an instinct to follow almost anything. This instinct is active for only a short period. If the habit of following a man is formed in the first week or two it remains a permanent possession. But if no attempt is made to get the animal to form * the habit until the "instinct?Mhas-'vamshed;, the desired habit will be extremely difficult to form, -if not impossible.» One may say " Oh, but what has calves to do with the formation of habits in human beings?" This is a proper question. The research into the instincts of animals and human beings has brought out not merely an astounding resemblance but a practically complete unity; and; as instinctive behaviour is much easier to observe in animals than in children, where it is quickly overlaid by imitation of adults, educationists are finding that the study of our " humbler relatives " is giving the key to:much that has up to the present a defied investigation. ; To return to the question o'f compulsion, it may seem from this very ■ cursory manner of dealing with it that it therefore tends to defeat its own ends and so fails to form habits of self-control. It certainly does form habits, but not the desired oneshabits of evasiveness, of judging the weak spots in. the teacher's armour, of boisterous conduct on the release of the pressure and so oh.

Making Things Interesting. The aim of the compulsionist is to give the child strength of will to overcome difficulties.- There is no doubt that a certain amount of the work taken in schools is not attractive- to children. This may be an argument for discarding such work, but such a reason ' would not be sufficient in itself. .Neither, on the other hand, is the inclusion of what repels a child justifiable on the grounds that it is a.good thing to have to learn to overcome drudgery. . However, there is sufficient material in the daily lessons of the school for the development of will and those who believe in the theory of compulsion assert that by compelling a child to-do his task they are developing this power. They misrepresent the opposite view by asserting that the modern teacher wishes to make everything easy , and pleasant for the child and then, pointing to the hard realities of life* ask what will be the result of having led the child to such a false conception .of life. If this is the only alternative to compulsion, then we had better leave it and stick to the 'good old-fashioned method." But here .again, the mistake "Ties in misunderstanding what is meant by lessons being interesting. This is not to be wondered at, for " mailing lessons interesting" has led to some -of the most fantastic nonsense imaginable. It is no-t that the material of a lesson should be made interesting by fanciful introductions and diverting stories. " The material *of the lesson should' be so presented that it either appeals to the child's natural instincts or it impresses him with its social value. The presentation should arouse within the child a desire to contribute something to the common stock of knowledge while he also participates in the productions of the others. The emphasis should be laid on constructing, on building up, and on giving out. Where conditions such as these apply the child puts forth effort, in a normal arid/ healthy manner, and at the same time .accomplishes an amount of work which is simply astonishing. The appeal of the work and the desire to be of service results in the routine and so-called drudgery being undertaken because it is a means to achieving an end. This is the key to the position. The compulsionist fails to realise that drudgery is drudgery because the child is unable to see its value. Directly he see the value of accomplishing certain difficulties he settles down to the difficulties ' with a - will. 7. Where, then, the work of the school is carried on in this wav the child not merely develops his so-called "will-power," but forms habits of social service; he learns to concentrate, and also to restrain, his powers in the achievement of definite ends; he develops his power of judgment and learns to discriminate between that which promises success and that which promises failure; finally he develops the social side of his character by the freer intercourse; he knows what it means to be criticised by his fellows instead of by the teacher, and so learns to give and take. On the other hand the child, driven by compulsion,, acquires a marvellous facility for giving just enough attention to the teacher to escape punishment, he comes to hate his school work and devotes a wonderful amount of thought to evading his duties and ""-'beating his teacher. 4