English critic and novelist; author of theological works and of books for children (1898-1963)
"What I want to fix your attention on is the vast overallmovement towards the discrediting, and finally the elimination, of every kind of humanexcellence -- moral, cultural, social or intellectual. And is it not pretty to notice how 'democracy' (in the incantatory sense) is now doing for us the work that was once done by the most ancient dictatorships, and by the same methods The basicproposal of the new education is to be that dunces and idlers must not be made to feelinferior to intelligent and industrious pupils. That would be 'undemocratic.' Children who are fit to proceed may be artificially kept back, because the others would get a trauma by beingleftbehind. The bright pupilthusremains democratically fettered to his own age group throughout his school career, and a boy who would be capable of tackling Aeschylus or Dante sits listening to his coeval's attempts to spell out A CAT SAT ON A MAT. We may reasonably hope for the virtual abolition of education when 'I'm as good as you' has fully had its way. All incentives to learn and all penalties for not learningwill vanish. The few who mightwant to learn will be prevented who are they to overtop their fellows And anyway, the teachers -- or should I say nurses -- will be far too busy reassuring the dunces and patting them on the back to waste any time on realteaching. We shall no longerhave to plan and toil to spread imperturbable conceit and incurableignorance among men."
