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and patient； to all considerations of mere decorum； for giving proper
instruction in the facts of sex。 Those who object to it （not counting
coarse people who thoughtlessly seize every opportunity of affecting and
parading a fictitious delicacy） are； in effect； advocating ignorance as a
safeguard against precocity。 If ignorance were practicable there would
be something to be said for it up to the age at which ignorance is a danger
instead of a safeguard。 Even as it is； it seems undesirable that any special
emphasis should be given to the subject； whether by way of delicacy and
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poetry or too impressive warning。 But the plain fact is that in refusing to
allow the child to be taught by qualified unrelated elders （the parents
shrink from the lesson； even when they are otherwise qualified； because
their own relation to the child makes the subject impossible between them）
we are virtually arranging to have our children taught by other children in
guilty secrets and unclean jests。 And that settles the question for all
sensible people。
The dogmatic objection； the sheer instinctive taboo which rules the
subject out altogether as indecent； has no age limit。 It means that at no
matter what age a woman consents to a proposal of marriage； she should
do so in ignorance of the relation she is undertaking。 When this actually
happens （and apparently it does happen oftener than would seem possible）
a horrible fraud is being practiced on both the man and the woman。 He is
led to believe that she knows what she is promising； and that he is in no
danger of finding himself bound to a woman to whom he is eugenically
antipathetic。 She contemplates nothing but such affectionate relations as
may exist between her and her nearest kinsmen； and has no knowledge of
the condition which； if not foreseen； must come as an amazing revelation
and a dangerous shock； ending possibly in the discovery that the marriage
has been an irreparable mistake。 Nothing can justify such a risk。 There
may be people incapable of understanding that the right to know all there
is to know about oneself is a natural human right that sweeps away all the
pretences of others to tamper with one's consciousness in order to produce
what they choose to consider a good character。 But they must here bow
to the plain mischievousness of entrapping people into contracts on which
the happiness of their whole lives depends without letting them know what
they are undertaking。
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Alleged Novelties in Modern
Schools
There is just one more nuisance to be disposed of before I come to the
positive side of my case。 I mean the person who tells me that my
schooldays belong to a bygone order of educational ideas and institutions；
and that schools are not now a bit like my old school。 I reply； with Sir
Walter Raleigh； by calling on my soul to give this statement the lie。
Some years ago I lectured in Oxford on the subject of Education。 A
friend to whom I mentioned my intention said； 〃You know nothing of
modern education： schools are not now what they were when you were a
boy。〃 I immediately procured the time sheets of half a dozen modern
schools； and found； as I expected； that they might all have been my old
school： there was no real difference。 I may mention； too； that I have
visited modern schools； and observed that there is a tendency to hang
printed pictures in an untidy and soulless manner on the walls； and
occasionally to display on the mantel…shelf a deplorable glass case
containing certain objects which might possibly； if placed in the hands of
the pupils； give them some practical experience of the weight of a pound
and the length of an inch。 And sometimes a scoundrel who has rifled a
bird's nest or killed a harmless snake encourages the children to go and do
likewise by putting his victims into an imitation nest and bottle and
exhibiting them as aids to 〃Nature study。〃 A suggestion that Nature is
worth study would certainly have staggered my schoolmasters； so perhaps
I may admit a gleam of progress here。 But as any child who attempted to
handle these dusty objects would probably be caned； I do not attach any
importance to such modernities in school furniture。 The school remains
what it was in my boyhood； because its real object remains what it was。
And that object； I repeat； is to keep the children out of mischief：
mischief meaning for the most part worrying the grown…ups。
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What is to be Done？
The practical question； then； is what to do with the children。 Tolerate
them at home we will not。 Let them run loose in the streets we dare not
until our streets become safe places for children； which； to our utter shame；
they are not at present； though they can hardly be worse than some homes
and some schools。
The grotesque difficulty of making even a beginning was brought
home to me in the little village in Hertfordshire where I write these lines
by the lady of the manor； who asked me very properly what I was going to
do for the village school。 I did not know what to reply。 As the school
kept the children quiet during my working hours； I did not for the sake of
my own personal convenmence want to blow it up with dynamite as I
should like to blow up most schools。 So I asked for guidance。 〃You
ought to give a prize；〃 said the lady。 I asked if there was a prize for good
conduct。 As I expected； there was： one for the best…behaved boy and
another for the best…behaved girl。 On reflection I offered a handsome
prize for the worst…behaved boy and girl on condition that a record should
be kept of their subsequent careers and compared with the records of the
best…behaved； in order to ascertain whether the school criterion of good
conduct was valid out of school。 My offer was refused because it would
not have had the effect of encouraging the children to give as little trouble
as possible； which is of course the real object of all conduct prizes in
schools。
I must not pretend； then； that I have a system ready to replace all the
other systems。 Obstructing the way of the proper organization of
childhood； as of everything else； lies our ridiculous misdistribution of the
national income； with its accompanying class distinctions and imposition
of snobbery on children as a necessary part of their social training。 The
result of our economic folly is that we are a nation of undesirable
acquaintances； and the first object of all our institutions for children is
segregation。 If； for example； our children were set free to roam and play
about as they pleased； they would have to be policed； and the first duty of
the police in a State like ours would be to see that every child wore a
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badge indicating its class in society； and that every child seen speaking to
another child with a lower…class badge； or any child wearing a higher
badge than that allotted to it by； say； the College of Heralds； should
immediately be skinned alive with a birch rod。 It might even be insisted
that girls with high…class badges should be attended by footmen； grooms；
or even military escorts。 In short； there is hardly any limit to the follies
with which our Commercialism would infect any system that it would
tolerate at all。 But something like a change of heart is still possible； and
since a