The New Ideal in Education | Page 4

mankind is possible to realise--yea, even to
start--otherwise than through the children. The Peace Conference,
being rather a law court than anything else, is beaten by the
uncontrolled warlike education of the German nation. Carnegie's books
have been read by grown-up people who had already got a direction in
life, and Carnegie's Hall of Peace in The Hague is still an office without
business. Nobel's prize was given also to some German professors who
are responsible for the new pedagogy in Germany.
MOTHERS, PATRIOTS, AND PRIESTS.
These three can be the best possible supporters or the worst enemies of

your educational scheme. Mothers by nature adore their children and
excite their individualism. Patriots try to engage the whole heart and
imagination of a child for its own country. Priests are asking the whole
sympathy of a child for their creed and their church. To be
individualistic, to be a patriot and a believer are the quite natural gifts
of a healthy person. But maternal love exaggerates very often the
individualism of a child and makes it egotistic and selfish; exclusively
cultivated patriotism degenerates into chauvinism; and exclusive
church education makes a bigot. These three kinds of people (alas! the
majority), egotists, chauvinists and bigots, will be against an
international scheme of education. But you must say to the sensible
mothers: The international education of your child will not kill its
individuality, but, on the contrary, will use it to the best advantage for
mankind and for itself. You are an enemy of your son if you educate
him to be an egotist and egoist. In egotism and egoism one has the
worst company in this life, the company which leads to pessimism and
disgust of life.
You must say to the sensible patriots: International education approves
of patriotic as of a natural inclination; only the new education intends
to make a window in every fatherland so that the child may see its
neighbours and stretch its hand to greet them.
And you must say to the sensible priests: The international board of
education will let every child go to its own church and learn the
catechism from its own parish priest; but it will be brought in touch
with the children of different creeds, and it will pray with them upon
the general ground of all the creeds.
THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION.
1. It shall consist of the representatives of all the boards of education in
the world.
2. The members of the board shall officially represent their own
country.
3. The board will be supported materially by the respective
Governments, and it will dispose of a great fortune from private
legacies. For all the philanthropists and peacemakers and peace wishers
will support such an institution rather than any other in the world.
4. The authority of this board shall be equal to the authority of an
international political congress.

5. Its duty will be to control education all over the world, banishing or
restricting individualism, egotism, chauvinism and bigotism, and
promoting by all means panhumanism by developing the mind for
collective work, mutual help, personal goodness and humbleness and
social greatness.
TO BRING CHILDREN OF THE WORLD CLOSER TOGETHER.
Let them meet as often as possible; I mean the children from England
and the children from Serbia, the children from Russia and the children
from France. So they will know about each other that they all are
human beings, and that they all can smile in friendliness on each other.
Let them travel to each other's country; I mean the children from
Germany and the children from Italy, the children from Japan and those
from Scandinavia. Let them see how every spot on earth is wonderful
in its way, and how worthy of love, of patriotism. When will the
railway companies and ship companies say: Let the children come to us?
When will they arrange the best trains, better than the royal trains, the
most commodious and decorated with flowers and flags of different
nations and with one special flag of the Children World Union? When
the moment comes that the wonderful modern communication begins
to help the children to meet each other and to pay visits to each other, at
that moment the invention of steam and electricity will justify itself. In
transferring the troops and facilitating crime it does net justify itself.
Let the word communication be not only for the sake of crime and for
the sake of bread; let it be for the sake of peace and of souls.
Let them sing together, everyone in his own tongue; I mean the
children from the East and West and North and South. You should have
been the other day in the Mansion House when the English and Serbian
boys met together, and have listened to the English