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doing； and tell him he mustnt〃 is the last word of the nursery； and the
grimmest aspect of it is that it was first formulated by a comic paper as a
capital joke。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Technical Instruction
Technical instruction tempts to violence （as a short cut） more than
liberal education。 The sailor in Mr Rudyard Kipling's Captains
Courageous； teaching the boy the names of the ship's tackle with a rope's
end； does not disgust us as our schoolmasters do； especially as the boy was
a spoiled boy。 But an unspoiled boy would not have needed that drastic
medicine。 Technical training may be as tedious as learning to skate or to
play the piano or violin； but it is the price one must pay to achieve certain
desirable results or necessary ends。 It is a monstrous thing to force a child
to learn Latin or Greek or mathematics on the ground that they are an
indispensable gymnastic for the mental powers。 It would be monstrous
even if it were true； for there is no labor that might not be imposed on a
child or an adult on the same pretext； but as a glance at the average
products of our public school and university education shews that it is not
true； it need not trouble us。 But it is a fact that ignorance of Latin and
Greek and mathematics closes certain careers to men （I do not mean
artificial； unnecessary； noxious careers like those of the commercial
schoolmaster）。 Languages； even dead ones； have their uses； and； as it
seems to many of us； mathematics have their uses。 They will always be
learned by people who want to learn them； and people will always want to
learn them as long as they are of any importance in life： indeed the want
will survive their importance： superstition is nowhere stronger than in
the field of obsolete acquirements。 And they will never be learnt
fruitfully by people who do not want to learn them either for their own
sake or for use in necessary work。 There is no harder schoolmaster than
experience； and yet experience fails to teach where there is no desire to
learn。
Still； one must not begin to apply this generalization too early。 And
this brings me to an important factor in the case： the factor of evolution。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Docility and Dependence
If anyone； impressed by my view that the rights of a child are precisely
those of an adult； proceeds to treat a child as if it were an adult； he （or she）
will find that though the plan will work much better at some points than
the usual plan； at others it will not work at all； and this discovery may
provoke him to turn back from the whole conception of children's rights
with a jest at the expense of bachelors' and old maids' children。 In
dealing with children what is needed is not logic but sense。 There is no
logical reason why young persons should be allowed greater control of
their property the day after they are twenty…one than the day before it。
There is no logical reason why I； who strongly object to an adult standing
over a boy of ten with a Latin grammar； and saying； 〃you must learn this；
whether you want to or not；〃 should nevertheless be quite prepared to
stand over a boy of five with the multiplication table or a copy book or a
code of elementary good manners； and practice on his docility to make
him learn them。 And there is no logical reason why I should do for a
child a great many little offices； some of them troublesome and
disagreeable； which I should not do for a boy twice its age； or support a
boy or girl when I would unhesitatingly throw an adult on his own
resources。 But there are practical reasons； and sensible reasons； and
affectionate reasons for all these illogicalities。 Children do not want to be
treated altogether as adults： such treatment terrifies them and over…
burdens them with responsibility。 In truth； very few adults care to be called
on for independence and originality： they also are bewildered and
terrified in the absence of precedents and precepts and commandments；
but modern Democracy allows them a sanctioning and cancelling power if
they are capable of using it； which children are not。 To treat a child
wholly as an adult would be to mock and destroy it。 Infantile docility
and juvenile dependence are； like death； a product of Natural Selection；
and though there is no viler crime than to abuse them； yet there is no
greater cruelty than to ignore them。 I have complained sufficiently of
what I suffered through the process of assault； imprisonment； and
compulsory lessons that taught me nothing； which are called my schooling。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
But I could say a good deal also about the things I was not taught and
should have been taught； not to mention the things I was allowed to do
which I should not have been allowed to do。 I have no recollection of
being taught to read or write； so I presume I was born with both faculties；
but many people seem to have bitter recollections of being forced
reluctantly to acquire them。 And though I have the uttermost contempt
for a teacher so ill mannered and incompetent as to be unable to make a
child learn to read and write without also making it cry； still I am prepared
to admit that I had rather have been compelled to learn to read and write
with tears by an incompetent and ill mannered person than left in
ignorance。 Reading； writing； and enough arithmetic to use money
honestly and accurately； together with the rudiments of law and order；
become necessary conditions of a child's li