Comenius shared, with most of the educational writers, ancient and modern, the view that education should begin as early as possible. He assigned six reasons for this: First, because we do not know when the child will be taken from his preparatory life on earth; second, shortness of time compared with the infiniteness of learning and manifoldness of duty to be prepared; third, because “it is the nature of everything that comes into being, that while tender it is easily bent and formed, but that when it has grown hard, it is not easy to alter”; fourth, God has granted man the years of youth, “unsuitable for everything but education,” which are much longer than in animals; fifth, the influence of early impressions is the most lasting and potent; sixth, the mind of man seeks constantly for some activity, and, “if not engaged with what is useful, it occupies with the vainest and even with harmful things,” of which the world is full. “If, then, each man have the welfare of his own children at heart, and if that of the human race be dear to the civil and ecclesiastical guardians of human affairs, let them hasten to make provision for timely planting, pruning, and watering of the plants of heaven, that these may be prudently formed to make prosperous advances in letters, virtue, and piety” (2: pp. 210-212). The necessity of equal, universal education of the young calls for the universal establishment of schools. In the home lies the foundation of education, and parents are naturally to be the first teachers, but modern society requires more in the way of education than the home can provide. The advantages of the school over the home can be enumerated as follows: 1. “It is very seldom that parents have sufficient ability or sufficient leisure to teach their children,” and “this is a marvelous saving of labor, when one man, undisturbed by other claims on his attention, confines himself to one thing; in this way one man can be of use to many and many to one” (2: p. 215). 2. Group life affords many benefits and advantages of its own. “Better results and more pleasures are to be obtained when one pupil serves as an example and a stimulus for another” (2: p. 215). Emulation and imitation, which are strong instincts in children, can operate best when a certain equality of capacity and interest, and consequently easy mutual understanding, exist. In this sense children are the best instructors and trainers of children. 3. To secure the best development of the child, a place, specified for the sole and definite end, with an ample provision and a regulated environment, is needed. As young plants are transplanted from their seed beds into the orchards or garden, so children should, after being cherished in the maternal bosom, be delivered into the school, the soil specially prepared for them, in order to grow more vigorously and successfully.