第21章

The time the children will remain under the discipline of the playground and school，will afford all the opportunity that can be desired to create，cultivate，and establish，those habits and sentiments which tend to the welfare of the individual and of the community.And in conformity to this plan of proceeding，the precept which was given to the child of two years old，on coming into the playground，'that he must endeavour to make his companions happy'，is to be renewed and enforced on his entrance into the school：and the first duty of the schoolmaster will be to train his pupils to acquire the practice of always acting on this principle.It is a simple rule，the plain and obvious reasons for which children at an early age may be readily taught to comprehend，and as they advance in years，become familiarized with its practice，and experience the beneficial effects to themselves，they will better feel and understand all its important consequences to society.

Such then being the foundation on which the practical habits of the children are to be formed，we proceed to explain the superstructure.

In addition to the knowledge of the principle and practice of the above-mentioned precept，the boys and girls are to be taught in the school to read well，and to understand what they read；to write expeditiously a good legible hand；and to learn correctly，so that they may comprehend and use with facility the fundamental rules of arithmetic.The girls are also to be taught to sew，cut out，and make up useful family garments；and，after acquiring a sufficient knowledge of these，they are to attend in rotation in the public kitchen and eating rooms，to learn to prepare wholesome food in an economical manner，and to keep a house neat and well arranged.

It was said that the children are to be taught to read well，and to understand what they read.

In many schools，the children of the poor and labouring classes are never taught to understand what they read；the time therefore which is occupied in the mockery of the instruction is lost.In other schools，the children，through the ignorance of their instructors，are taught to believe without reasoning，and thus never to think or to reason correctly.These truly lamentable practices cannot fail to indispose，the young mind for plain，simple，and rational instruction.

The books by which it is now the common custom to teach children to read，inform them of anything except that which，at their age，they ought to be taught；hence the inconsistencies and follies of adults.It is full time that this system should be changed.Can man，when possessing the full vigour of his faculties，form a rational judgement on any subject，until he has first collected all the facts respecting it which are known？Has not this been，and will not this ever remain，the only path by which human knowledge can be obtained？Then children ought to be instructed on the same principles.They should first be taught the knowledge of facts，commencing with those which are most familiar to the young mind，and gradually proceeding to the most useful and necessary to be known by the respective individuals in the rank of life in which they are likely to be placed；and in all cases the children should have as clear an explanation of each fact as their minds can comprehend，rendering those explanations more detailed as the child acquires strength and capacity of intellect.

As soon as the young mind shall be duly prepared for such instruction，the master should not allow any opportunity to escape，that would enable him to enforce the clear and inseparable connection which exists between the interest and happiness of each individual and the interest and happiness of every other individual.This should be the beginning and end of all instruction；and by degrees it will be so well understood by his pupils，that they will receive the same conviction of its truth，that those familiar with mathematics now entertain of the demonstrations of Euclid.And when thus comprehended，the all prevailing principle of known life，the desire of happiness，will compel them without deviation to pursue it in practice.

It is much to be regretted that the strength and capacity of the minds of children are yet unknown；their faculties have been hitherto estimated by the folly of instruction which has been given to them；while，if they were never taught to acquire error，they would speedily exhibit such powers of mind，as would convince the most incredulous how much the human intellect has been injured by the ignorance of former and present treatment.

It is therefore indeed important that the mind from its birth should receive those ideas only which are consistent with each other，which are in unison with all the known facts of the creation，and which are therefore true.Now，however，from the day they are born，the minds of children are impressed with false notions of themselves and of mankind；and in lieu of being conducted into the plain path leading to health and happiness，the utmost pains are taken to compel them to pursue an opposite direction，in which they can attain only inconsistency and error.