Educational Plans and Purposes

Abstract

IN accordance with the general view that the study of education is a branch of sociology, Nature has duly reported to its readers the discussions that led to the Education Act of 1944, and those that have so far resulted from that event. A new step has now been taken. The Ministry is to publish a series of pamphlets, the first of which, bearing the title "The Nation's Schools: their Plan and Purpose", has just appeared (London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1945. Pp. 32. 6d. net). Here the Ministry comes to close grips with the facts, the object of the pamphlet being "to set out some reflections relating planning to purpose in terms, not of the legal 'child', but of living children". Each kind of school is tersely dealt with, beginning with nursery and infant schools. Here, by the way, a curious lapsus calami attributes to Margaret Mac-millan the great saying, "Educate every child as if he were your own". It was Rachel's saying, reverently quoted by her sister Margaret. The section on junior schools touches a sore spot when it remarks that so far "the juniors have too often had to make do with the accommodation available after the seniors have been dealt with".