The Divided Society
Practical Education in schools has a long history, but has been dogged by the social division between
the ‘academic’ sphere, and those who work primarily with their hands. Sadly much ignorance on both sides has
prevented true progress.
Plato approx. 426 - 348 BC
“They
are
to
be
gentlemen,
unsullied
by
trade
and
the
menial
labours
of
agriculture
and
craftsmanship:
and
they
are
to
follow
the
gentleman's
calling
of
public
service
in
the
administration
and
the
army.
Whereas
the
civilian,
with
his
vulgar
interests
in
his
craft,
in
money-making
and
in
family-life,
is
a
natural
subject,
the
ruler,
conscious
of
the
the
social
responsibility which higher intellectual and moral capacities bring is a natural gentleman.”
William Penn 1644 – 1718
‘Some Fruits of Solitude’ - (On Education)
We
are
in
pain
to
make
them
scholars
but
not
men!
To
talk,
rather
than
know,
which
is
true
canting.The
first
thing
obvious
to
children,
is
what
is
sensible;
and
that
we
make
no
part
of
their
rudiments.We
press
their
memory
too
soon,
and
puzzle,
strain
and
load
them
with
words
and
rules,
to
know
grammar
and
rhetorick,
and
a
strange
toungue
or
two,
that
it
is
ten
to
one
may
never
be
useful
to
them,
leaving
their
natural
genius
to
mechanical
and
physical
or
natural
knowledge
uncultivated
and
neglected;
which
would
be
of
exceeding
use
and
pleasure
to
them
through
the
whole
course
of
their
life.
To
be
sure,
languages
are
not
to
be
despised
or
neglected.
But
things
are
still
to
be
preferred.Children
had
rather
be
making
of
tools,
and
instruments
of
play,
shaping,
drawing,
framing,
building
etc;
than
getting
some
rules
of
propriety
of
speech
by
heart;
and
those
also
would
follow
with
more
judgement,
and
less trouble and time.