On-Education

OnEducationAlbertEinsteinAdayofcelebrationgenerallyisinthefirstplacededicatedtoretrospect,especiallytothememoryofpersonageswhohavegainedspecialdistinctionforthedevelopmentoftheculturallife.Thisfriendlyserviceforourpredecessorsmustindeednotbeneglected,particularlyassuchamemoryofthebestofthepastispropertostimulatethewell-disposedoftodaytoacourageouseffort.Butthisshouldbedonebysomeonewho,fromhisyouth,hasbeenconnectedwiththisStateandisfamiliarwithitspast,notbyonewholikeagypsyhaswanderedaboutandgatheredhisexperiencesinallkindsofcountries.Thus,thereisnothingelseleftformebuttospeakaboutsuchquestionsas,independentlyofspaceandtime,alwayshavebeenandwillbeconnectedwitheducationalmatters.InthisattemptIcannotlayanyclaimtobeinganauthority,especiallyasintelligentandwell-meaningmenofalltimeshavedealtwitheducationalproblemsandhavecertainlyrepeatedlyexpressedtheirviewsclearlyaboutthesematters.FromwhatsourceshallI,asapartiallaymanintherealmofpedagogy,derivecouragetoexpoundopinionswithnofoundationsexceptpersonalexperienceandpersonalconviction?Ifitwerereallyascientificmatter,onewouldprobablybetemperedtosilencebysuchconsiderations.However,withtheaffairsofactivehumanbeingsitisdifferent.Hereknowledgeoftruthalonedoesnotsuffice;onthecontrarythisknowledgemustcontinuallyberenewedbyceaselesseffort,ifitisnottobelost.Itresemblesastatueofmarblewhichstandsinthedesertandiscontinuouslythreatenedwithburialbytheshifting-sand.Thehandsofservicemusteverbeatwork,inorderthatthemarblecontinuelastinglytoshineinthesun.Totheseservinghandsminealsoshallbelong.Theschoolhasalwaysbeenthemostimportantmeansoftransferringthewealthoftraditionfromonegenerationtothenext.Thisappliestodayinanevenhigherdegreethaninformertimesfor,throughmoderndevelopmentoftheeconomiclife,thefamilyasbeareroftraditionandeducationhasbeenweakened.Thecontinuanceandhealthofhumansocietyisthereforeinastillhigherdegreedependentontheschoolthanformerly.Sometimesoneseesintheschoolsimplytheinstrumentfortransferringacertainmaximumquantityofknowledgetothegrowinggeneration.Butthatisnotright.Knowledgeisdead;theschool,however,servestheliving.Itshoulddevelopintheyoungindividualsthosequalitiesandcapabilitieswhichareofvalueforthewelfareofthecommonwealth.Butthatdoesnotmeanthatindividualityshouldbedestroyedandtheindividualbecomeameretoolofthecommunity,likeabeeoranant.Foracommunityofstandardizedindividualswithoutpersonaloriginalityandpersonalaimswouldbeapoorcommunitywithoutpossibilitiesfordevelopment.Onthecontrary,theaimmustbethetrainingofindependentlyactingandthinkingindividuals,who,however,seeintheserviceofthecommunitytheirhighestlifeproblem.AsfarasIcanjudge,theEnglishschoolsystemcomesnearesttotherealizationofthisideal.Buthowshallonetrytoattainthisideal?Shouldoneperhapstrytorealizethisaimbymoralizing?Notatall.Wordsareandremainanemptysound,andtheroadtoperditionhaseverbeenaccompaniedbylipservicetoanideal.Butpersonalitiesarenotformedbywhatisheardandsaid,butbylaborandactivity.Themostimportantmethodofeducationaccordinglyalwayshasconsistedofthatinwhichthepupilwasurgedtoactualperformance.Thisappliesaswelltothefirstattemptsatwritingoftheprimaryboyastothedoctor’sthesisongraduationfromtheuniversity,orastothemerememorizingofapoem,thewritingofacomposition,theinterpretationandtranslationofatext,thesolvingofamathematicalproblemorthepracticeofphysicalsport.Butbehindeveryachievementexiststhemotivationwhichisatthefoundationofitandwhichinturnisstrengthenedandnourishedbytheaccomplishmentoftheundertaking.Heretherearethegreatestdifferencesandtheyareofgreatestimportancetotheeducationalvalueoftheschool.Thesameworkmayoweitsorigintofearandcompulsion,ambitiousdesireforauthorityanddistinction,orlovinginterestintheobjectandadesirefortruthandunderstanding,andthustothatdivinecuriositywhicheveryhealthychildpossesses,butwhichsooftenearlyisweakened.Theeducationalinfluencewhichisexerciseduponthepupilbytheaccomplishmentofoneandthesameworkmaybewidelydifferent,dependinguponwhetherfearofhurt,egoisticpassionordesireforpleasureandsatisfactionareatthebottomofthiswork.Andnobodywillmaintainthattheadministrationoftheschoolandtheattitudeoftheteachersdoesnothaveaninfluenceuponthemoldingofthepsychologicalfoundationforpupils.Tometheworstthingseemstobeforaschoolprincipallytoworkwithmethodsoffear,forceandartificialauthority.Suchtreatmentdestroysthesoundsentiments,thesincerityandtheself-confidenceofthepupil.Itproducesthesubmissivesubject.ItisnowonderthatsuchschoolsaretheruleinGermanyandRussia.Iknowthattheschoolsinthiscountryarefreefromthisworstevil;thisalsoissoinSwitzerlandandprobablyinalldemocraticallygovernedcountries.Itiscomparativelysimpletokeeptheschoolfreefromthisworstofallevils.Giveintothepoweroftheteacherthefewestpossiblecoercivemeasures,sothattheonlysourceofthepupil’srespectfortheteacheristhehumanandintellectualqualitiesofthelatter.Thesecond-namedmotive,ambitionor,inmilderterms,theaimingatrecognitionandconsideration,liesfirmlyfixedinhumannature.Withabsenceofmentalstimulusofthiskind,humancooperationwouldbeentirelyimpossible;thedesirefortheapproval