Infant Schools

Name: Infant Schools
Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The work critiques the reliance on institutional education, particularly infant schools, as a means of moral and intellectual development. The author expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of such schools, arguing that true progress arises from individual genius and goodness rather than organized systems. The text highlights a perceived decline in the value of personal initiative and the overemphasis on collective educational structures, which are seen as inadequate for fostering genuine moral character. The author questions whether rote learning, exemplified by memorizing multiplication tables or biblical verses, truly cultivates responsible and dutiful individuals. There is a concern that these methods do not translate into increased familial loyalty or domestic charity. The critique extends to the societal implications of introducing such schools into rural areas, suggesting that they disrupt traditional home education and undermine the intimate learning environment provided by families. The argument posits that while these schools may serve as a necessary compromise in urban settings, their expansion into the countryside represents a significant error. The author laments the loss of cottage home education, which is viewed as a more authentic and effective means of nurturing children. The text ultimately advocates for a return to valuing individual learning experiences over institutionalized education, emphasizing the importance of personal engagement in moral and intellectual development.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1816 · Genre: Educational Critique, Philosophical Essay, Social Commentary · 245 words

First lines

I have no faith in act of parliament reform. All the great -- the permanently great -- things that have been achieved in the world have been so achieved by individuals, working from the instinct of genius or of goodness. The rage now-a-days is all the other way: the individual is supposed capable of nothing; there must be organization, classification, machinery, &c., as if the capital of national morality could be increased by making a joint stock of it. Hence you see these infant schools so patronized by the bishops and others, who think them a grand invention. Is it found that an infant-school child, who has been bawling all day a column of the multiplication-table, or a verse from the Bible, grows up a more dutiful son or daughter to its parents? Are domestic charities on the increase amongst families under this system? In a great town, in our present state of society, perhaps such schools may be a justifiable expedient -- a choice of the lesser evil; but as for driving these establishments into the country villages, and breaking up the cottage home education, I think it one of the most miserable mistakes which the well-intentioned people of the day have yet made; and they have made, and are making, a good many, God knows.

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Infant Schools is listed on Textopian as an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, dated 1816 CE.

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Work type: Essay
Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Date: 1816 CE
Language: English
Genres: Educational Critique, Philosophical Essay, Social Commentary, Political Commentary, Literary Non-Fiction
Length: 245 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Genres

Educational Critique — The text critiques the concept and implementation of infant schools, focusing on their effectiveness and impact on individual development.
Philosophical Essay — The work presents philosophical reflections on education, individualism, and societal organization.
Social Commentary — It comments on societal trends and the role of institutions in shaping morality and education.
Political Commentary — The text expresses skepticism towards parliamentary reforms and organized education systems.