L.—EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE 197 
responsibility and a disregard of the interest of class or self. They can 
be led to realise that democracy is less a system of equal rights than a 
system of equal responsibilities ; and even the common life of the school 
can teach them how much one clear and decided mind can do in shaping 
the opinion of its own circle. In many ways the school may encourage 
independence and sincerity of thought, and afford some antidote to the 
malignant influence of a very large part of the popular press. It is 
constantly repeated that any man has a right to his opinion ; and this is 
true ifitzshisopinion. But itis not true, if it is some other person’s opinion, 
accepted without thought ; nor even if it is his own, but formed without 
reflection and deliberate impartiality. The foundation of habits of im- 
partial and critical judgment can be laid at school, and if they are not laid 
there, the odds are heavily against their being laid anywhere else.” 
The teaching of history is an obvious instance of the opportunity which 
education affords for the formation of habits of careful judgment. As in 
all other matters, there must be an impartial presentation of facts and 
issues, and, if possible, opportunity of discussion of a kind suited to the 
age of the pupils. In this connection it is rather alarming to hear of a 
great Education Authority proposing to review and revise the text books 
of history to be used in its schools in the interests of the political party 
which is dominant at the moment. (The other explanations offered are 
too transparent to deceive anyone.) ‘The same thing has happened before 
now in America, a deliberate attempt being made to impart an anti- 
British bias ; and it is happening now in Germany. Now it is quite 
possible that many of the current text books are biased, consciously or un- 
consciously, in a particular direction, and that the bias needs correction ; 
but you cannot correct it merely by substituting the opposite bias, but 
only by a fresh and impartial estimation of evidence : this is a task which 
requires the trained skill of the historian, and its fulfilment is frustrated if 
the conclusions are dictated beforehand. The task of the teacher is to 
encourage his pupils to think by the presentation of evidence or of opposite 
points of view ; the desire of the politician is to prevent them from think- 
ing, so that they may swallow his particular notions without question ; 
and it is this which must be resisted at all costs.3 
2 It would be easy to apply this contention especially to the particular case 
of international affairs, about which it is urgently necessary that an intelligent 
future voter should, in the present state of the world, have an elementary know- 
ledge. In this matter I agree wholly with a writer from whom I more often differ, 
Prof. H. Laski, when he writes that ‘ our educational systems are at no point 
adapted to confer upon the masses that knowledge even of the larger aspects of 
international affairs without which reason is powerless’ (The State in Theory 
and Practice, p.267). A little superficial teaching about the League of Nations 
is in a great number of schools the utmost that is attempted. Even in Adult 
Education of all kinds, very little attention is given to international relations. 
° The fear that the discussion of recent history and contemporary events in 
schools may result in one-sided propaganda is, I think, in the main mistaken. 
Of course there is a small number of teachers who are strong party-politicians, and 
they are obviously not the persons for this work, for although strong party-spirit 
is apt to evoke as much opposition as support, they are not likely to produce a 
Spirit of fair-minded consideration for both sides. But teachers whose aim is 
that which I have tried to describe are likely to be able to discipline themselves 
to fairness. 
