Comenius' School of Infancy/Chapter 12
CHAPTER XII.
PREPARATION FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
1. All human affairs, to be properly transacted, require due reflection and preparation. This is noticed by the son of Sirach: “Preparation is demanded before prayer, before passing judgment, and before uttering a word, even though the question be quite obvious”; and certainly it is proper, that a creature who is a participator of reason should do nothing without reason and judgment, without prudence and circumspection, so as to reflect beforehand why he does certain things, and what may be the result or what may follow if done in this or any other way. Parents, therefore, ought not to hand over their children inconsiderately for instruction in schools, before they themselves seriously reflect what is suitable to be done in this matter, and thus to open the eyes of their children to look forward to the same.[1]
2. Parents act imprudently who, with no preparation, lead their children to schools, as calves to market, or flocks to the herd.[2] Afterwards the schoolmaster becomes harassed with them, and will punish them as he thinks fit. Such parents, however, are surpassed in folly by those who, exciting terror for the teacher and dread for the school, drive their children there. This is done when parents or domestics incautiously declaim in the presence of children respecting scholastic punishments and the severity of teachers, and tell them that they will no longer be allowed to play, and the like, by saying, “I will send you to school; you shall be made gentle; they will beat you with rods; only wait a little,” etc. In this way occasion is given them, not for gentleness, but for greater ferocity, despair, and slavish fear towards schools and teachers.
3. Therefore prudent and pious parents, tutors, and guardians should act in this matter as follows: First, as the time for sending children to school draws near, they should endeavor to inspire them with pleasure,[3] as if fair days and the vintage were approaching, when they will go to school along with other children, learn with them, and play with them. The father or mother may also promise them a very beautiful dress, an elegant cap, a polished tablet, a book, and the like; or they may occasionally show those things which they have ready for them. They ought not, however, to give them until the proper time, but only promise that they will give them, so as to increase their desire more and more, saying to them such words as these: “Come, my dear child, pray diligently that the time may soon come; be pious, and obedient,” etc.
4. It will also be beneficial to tell them how excellent a thing it is to attend schools and acquire learning, for only such become great men, lawyers, professors, doctors, preachers of the Divine word, senators, etc., all of them excellent men, celebrated, rich, and wise, whom the rest of mankind are necessarily bound to honor; likewise, that it is better and more becoming to attend school than to drone away in idleness at home, or run about the streets, or learn bad habits; that learning is not labor, but that amusement with books and a pen is sweeter than honey; and of this amusement children may have a foretaste.[4]It may be useful to put chalk into their hands, with which they may delineate on a slate or on paper, angles, squares, circles, little stars, horses, trees, etc.; and it matters not that these be correctly drawn, provided that they afford delight to the mind. It cannot fail of being beneficial for the child to be accustomed to form letters easily, and to distinguish them. Whatever else can be done to excite in them a love of school ought not to be omitted.
5. Parents, moreover, should endeavor to excite in their children confidence and love towards their future teacher, and this may be done in various ways; for instance, making mention of him as amiable, calling him father’s friend, mother’s friend, or a good neighbor, and generally praising up his learning, wisdom, kindness, and benevolence; that he is a distinguished man, knows many things, and yet is kind to children and loves them; and though it be true that some are punished by him, yet that these are only such as are disobedient and wicked, and deserve to be punished by everybody, but that he never chastises obedient children; besides, he shows children many things, how to write, to draw, how to learn by heart, etc. By conversing in a childlike manner in this or some such way, parents may remove all fear and dread from them. Sometimes, also, they may be questioned thus: “Will you be obedient?” If the child answer “Yes,” it should be told, “Assuredly, then, your schoolmaster will affectionately love you.” And in order that the child may acquire some acquaintance with the future teacher, and discover that he is an able man, and so be confirmed in the opinion, the father or mother should send occasionally some little present to the schoolmaster by the child, either alone or with a servant; the teacher, if he is mindful of his duty, will speak kindly to the child, showing him something that he may not have seen before,—a book, a picture, some musical or mathematical instrument, or anything pleasing to a child. Sometimes, also, he may give a writing tablet, a pen, a penny, a piece of sugar, some fruit, or the like, to the child. However, that this may not be at his own expense, the parents, whose interest it really is, should remunerate him, or previously send the gift. In this way child will readily acquire a love for, and joyous anticipation of, the school and teacher, especially where the disposition of the child is generous; and the work so well begun is now half done; for when to children the school becomes an amusement, they will make progress with rapidity and delight.
6. Since, however, “all wisdom is from the Lord, as it is with Him from eternity, He moreover is the leader and the ruler of wisdom, and in His hands are we, and our words; likewise all providence and knowledge,” the present matter necessarily requires that parents should in devout prayer, again commend their children to God, begging Him to grant His blessing on their scholastic instruction, and to make out of them vessels of grace, nay, if it please His wisdom, the instruments of His glory. So Hannah with prayer delivered her Samuel to Eli; so David delivered Solomon to the prophet Nathan; so the mother of John Huss,[5] the Bohemian martyr, as she was taking him to school, occasionally during the journey falling on her knees with him, poured out her prayers. And how well God heard and blessed these prayers, all Christians know. For how can God thrust away from Him that which is dedicated to Him with a full and warm heart, with prayers and tears: first, before birth; afterwards in faithful dedication; and now a third time? It is impossible for Him not to receive so holy an offering.
7. Therefore the father or mother may use the following prayer: “Almighty God, Creator of spirits and of all flesh, from whom all paternity upon earth is named, supreme governor of angels and of men, who, in virtue of Thine eternal right over all creatures, didst ordain by the word of Thy law that all first-fruits of the produce of the earth, of cattle and of men, should be presented as offerings to Thee, our God and Creator, or be redeemed according to Thy will with other victims; behold, I, Thy unworthy servant, having received by Thy blessing this child, present it to Thee, our Creator, Father, and most merciful Lord God, with profound humility, that Thou mayest be my God and the God of my offspring forever. Oh, the vast benignity and mercy conferred upon us who believe that we, having been ransomed from mankind, have been made first-fruits to God and the Lamb! Do Thou, therefore, ratify and confirm this blessing, O most merciful God, that the child may be in the number of Thine elect, and receive a portion with Thy sanctified ones. And since I now deliver it, to obtain richer knowledge, to the director of youth, I pray Thee, add Thy blessing, that being instructed by Thy Holy Spirit, it may learn more and more what pleaseth Thee, and walkin Thy commandments, Fear of Thee, O Lord, is the beginning of wisdom, therefore fill its hearb with Thy fear, and enlighten it with the light of knowledge according to Thy will; so that its advanced age, if Thou shouldst deem fit, may be glorious to Thee, useful to its neighbors, and salutary to itself. Hear me, most beloved Father, and fulfill the prayer of Thy servant, for the sake of the intercession of our mediator Jesus Christ, who received little children when brought to Him, embraced them in His arms, imparting to them a kiss and benediction.”
- ↑ “The home,” declared Pestalozzi, “is the basis of the education of humanity.”
“In the home,” said Fröbel, “the child grows up to boyhood and school age; therefore the school should grow out of and join itself on to the home. To-day the first and most indispensable demand of human training—complete or tending toward completeness—is union of instruction with life—union of home and school life.”
- ↑ Miss Emma Marwedel, in her Conscious Motherhood (Boston, 1889), appreciates more than any other modern writer the necessity of preparation for the school period.
Miss [[Author:Maria Edgeworth}} says in this connection: “Children do not come to school with fresh unprejudiced minds to commence their course of social education; they bring all the ideas and habits which they have already learned in their respective homes, And it is highly unreasonable to expect that all these habits should be reformed by the teacher.”
- ↑ Madame Pape-Carpentier maintains that the “child should live in the midst of fresh and soothing impressions; the objects which surround him in the school should be graceful and cheerful.”
- ↑
Locke, Fénelon, Rousseau, and Basedow would also present learning in the guise of amusement. Pestalozzi, however, took the matter more seriously. He said: “I am convinced that such a notion will forever preclude solidity of knowledge; and, for want of sufficient exertions on the part of the pupils, will lead to that very result which wish to avoid by my principle of a constant employment of the thinking powers.”
Madame Necker de Saussure agreed with Pestalozzi. She wrote: “The education that takes place through amusement dissipates thought; labor of some sort is one of the great aids of nature; the mind of the child ought to accustom itself to the labor of study.”
- ↑ For a full account of John Huss, the first bishop of the Moravian Church, see De Schweinitz’s History of the Unitas Fratrum (Bethlehem, 1885).