The Story of a Great SchoolmasterWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
History
The Story of a Great Schoolmaster
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Sanderson, F. W. (Frederick William), 1857-1922; School principals -- Great Britain -- Biography
'It is a pleasant thing to wander about these fields and watch the
cadets who are told off to instruct their squads. It is a splendid
illustration of the power of co-operation in education--where boys
and men, or where a community work together, teaching one another,
learning one from the other, where all are teachers and scholars, a
body of co-workers, helping, encouraging, stimulating each other.
This community method is dominant wherever there is a great stirring,
_e.g._ a great call, a great pressing into a new kingdom; wherever
there is a great discovery and a new need. The war will establish it in
schools.
And just one word when you go forth from here. You will carry this
mutual co-operative spirit with you. You will love your men, take care
of their interests, making full use of their individual faculties, and
learn to be co-workers with them.
It is often said that wars will never cease--that they are a
necessity--and in a sense this is true. One thing we know quite well,
that in all affairs of life _peace_ may be simply the peace of death.
There is the peace of lifelessness, of inactivity, notwithstanding all
its autumnal beauty. There is the quiet peace which changes not, the
conventional belief, the conventional kind of round of work, with lack
of initiative, of experiment, of testing and trials. There is the peace
which follows on contentment with things as they are, the peace of
death. The land of peace and of convention, and of cruel contentment.
The land of dark Satanic mills--as in Blake's imagery. War may come to
break up this deathful peace. So said John Ruskin. I have a letter
written to me just when the war broke out. In July 1914 the O.T.C.
was inspected by General Birkbeck, and in his speech he expressed his
belief that war was coming. On 2nd August, 1914, he wrote to me:--
"DEAR MR. SANDERSON,--We little thought when I spoke to those boys
of yours how near we were to our trial!" and he adds: "These are
the words of a peaceful philosopher, Mr. Ruskin, when concluding a
series of lectures on War at Woolwich Royal Academy Institution,
which may give you comfort. Men talk of peace and plenty, of peace
and learning, of peace and civilisation; but I found that those
are not the words which the muse of history has coupled together!
On her lips the words are Peace and Selfishness, Peace and
Sensuality, Peace and Death!!! I learned, in short, that all great
nations learned their truth of word and strength of thought in
war; that they were taught by war and betrayed by peace--trained
by war and deceived by peace--nourished in war and decayed in
peace; in a word, that they were born in war and expired in peace."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account