Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Passages From the Life of an Educational Freelance: Translated From the German
These Passages all built up in him the strongest conviction that modern European education is every where on a wrong tack, and demands very radical changes. All the while he shows the surest faith in the power of education, natural and rational. He condemns whatever in Germany is called national education, as being the outcome of efforts of State and Church in unholy alliance, to exploit, to use, the people for the profit of the privileged classes; while he asserts with inspiring fervour that true education is the one means of saving and renewing the nation. His aim to amend is just as strong as his revolt. From his first days as assistant teacher, whatever he sees - feels - to be wrong in theory, anti-popular, inhuman - the impulse is in him to reform. All blunders, each set of unfavourable circumstances, every spoiled mind, makes him sad; but also makes him think; intellect being as active with him as feelings are quick. Almost ignorant of Pestalozzi, save as of one whom all praise and few follow, like a. Higher Master, he makes his own and applies Pestalozzi's spell He works to bring objects, Things - abstract and concrete - into actual contact with the pupil's senses and mind; putting words, names - those importunate pretenders into their proper subordinate place. Unconscious of F. Froebel, to a degree that shocks this translator, he takes hold of Froebel's most pregnant idea, Learn by doing, develops the fruitful thought, and makes of it the very heart of his method. And what are his means How did primeval man begin to be civi lised By means of Nature how else? Nature is about us yet; and one day we shall believe that all we truly know - the stuff Of all real knowledge - we learn from her all the rest - hearsay, rote-knowledge - being Vow at mastered nihil. Yet we let nature be! We touch not, taste not, handle not, and sit in close rooms to read and memorise notes and labels in crabbed script, 'of what is in full - outside. In these Passages we see Dr. Haufe continually trying to find the way back to Nature. Now he makes good a step in the right direction; gazes around him, and feels that all is not yet clear; then another step, and another; till at last he cries, with tears of joy, I have found it, when he recognises that the one and only end of human education is that harmonious development of humanity, the aim after which seems to be Man's one essential distino tion: perceives that the means of man's education is the whole of Nature; all her works and ways.
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