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Education Intellectual, Moral and Physical
Education Intellectual Moral and Physical Author:Spencer Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. MORAL EDUCATION. Strangely enough, the most glaring defect- inl V our programmes of education is entirely overlooked. ls While much is being... more » done in the detailed improve-) ment of our systems in respect both of matter and manner, the most pressing desideratum has not yet been even recognised as a desideratum. To prepare the young for the duties of life is tacitly admitted by all to be the end which parents and schoolmasters should have in view ; and happily the value of the things taught, and the goodness of the method followed in teaching them, are now ostensibly judged by their fitness to this end. The propriety of substituting for an exclusively classical training a training in which the modern languages shall have a share, is argued on this ground. The necessity of increasing the amount of science is urged for like reasons. But though some care is taken to fit youth of both sexes for society and citizenship, no care whatever is taken to fit them for the still more important position they will ultimately have to fill-f-the position of parentsT] While it is seen that for the purpose of gaining a livelihood, an elaborate preparation is needed, it appears to be thought that for the bringing up of children, no preparation whatever is needed. While many years are spent by a boy in gaining knowledge, of which the chief value is. that it constitutes ' the education of a gentlemariratid wlmeinany years are spent by a girl in those decorative acquirements...which. ' fit her for evening parties pnot anliour is spent oy either of them in preparation for that gravest of all . c- responsibilities—the management of a family. Is fr' it that this responsibility is .but a remote contingency ? On the contrary, it is certain to devolve' on nine'bur' .of ten. Is it that the...« less