LANGUAGE VERSUS WORDS.

235

spite of the great difference in the natural powers of languages, and the genius of the speech employed by different races, there is, if the thought is studied, a sure and scientific way of treating every diversity that can arise—But a master of language is very different from an authority in words.

CHAPTER XI.

THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING.

Punishment.

THE subject of punishment does not fall directly under teaching; yet it cannot entirely be left out, as it is one of the most difficult questions with which a school has to deal. But the author has treated of its main principles elsewhere*.

If the school work is carefully adapted to the powers of the boys, and the boys themselves are all tested daily, it becomes a very serious puzzle how to punish satisfactorily the idle, the careless, or the undisciplined.

To punish by putting on more work, when the work already has been found too much, or, being enough, has been left undone, is absurd. Very little can be managed in that way, the wheels soon get clogged, and farther progress impossible.

* Education and School (Macmillan), Chapter xv.

NOT PUNISHMENT BUT IMPROVEMENT. 237

Whatever is done in the way of extra work ought to have an educational value, and keep in view the improvement of the boy punished.

This axiom excludes all punishments in writing, unless given with a view to improve writing, or as a school exercise to be looked over, and corrected, like any other school exercise, But this looking over, puts extra work on the master, who already has as much as he can fairly do.

Punishments which exact much additional work from the master are as impossible in a good school, as punishments which exact much additional labour from the boy. The true solution of the great difficulty appears to lie finally in a school having many privileges, as long as work and behaviour is good. Every privilege is a possible punishment, as it can be taken away. This is sometimes a severe infliction. Practically, there are two great hindrances to this expedient. Education is not sufficiently advanced to admit of a large number of privileges. They would be abused. And also the deprivation often lacks the one chief need in punishing, it is not quick enough.

Quickness and certainty soon reduce the numbers of faults. Uncertainty and delay breed culprits. But something can be done. If bad marks carry punishment, good marks should cancel it. The being in the first class should carry exemp

238

WISE FORGIVENESS.

tion from punishment, and require that the first offence should be visited by being turned out of sanctuary.

Again, if the size of the classes, and the working powers of the school, admit of individual cases being judged, and consideration shown without suspicion of favouritism, not what the fault deserves, but what will work best is the teacher's problem. Many times a wise forgiveness has cured, where punishment would have made worse. The overmatched man and the fool have their punishments all cut-and-dried, of the regulation pattern, and apply the official stamp without regard to anything but the actual fault.

If work is set, then the demanding a certain number of lines of English or classical poetry to be learnt by heart is almost the only thing that cannot be evaded. But it is hard to be exact, and takes up much time.

The making a boy prepare the coming lessons, not the past ones, with more care, either by requiring a portion to be carefully translated, or in other ways, is sometimes practicable.

Somewhat in the same direction is the requiring a culprit, who has been guilty of a wrong construction in a sentence, to produce a certain number of examples of the right one out of the books he is reading.

JUDICIOUS BLINDNESS.

239

The skeleton maps, which can be procured, may be utilised as punishments, by ordering the delinquent to fill in carefully a certain number of the names. A few lines of English verse on a subject, or a short narrative, or description in English, is a good form of punishment.

A little judicious blindness and deafness is a great virtue in a wise teacher. As Solomon says, "Take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee." The servant does not always mean it, and a man working on a plan will know when to tighten, and when to relax his grasp; when to see, and when not to see. A dead level of punishment is a grievous mistake. It leads boys to think that however much they try there is no escape, and accordingly they lose heart, and cease to try. Glimmerings of better things should be taken advantage of, and when honest praise can be awarded the battle is half won.

Matters sometimes come to a crisis with a boy, and he feels it, and knows that the master has right on his side. He is both afraid, and ashamed of his misdeeds: a kind talk, a free pardon, and a fresh start, is sometimes very effective under such circumstances.

Choose what to punish carefully. It is a grievous mistake to allow boys to go on, and on, and on, with partial checks, until patience is ex