The Curse of Education

therto been limited to the lesser evils attributable to the forcing upon the masses of the people a useless and unsuitable kind of education. But there ar

nfit are incalculable. It is scarcely to be wondered at that some persons have formed the ingenious theory that this world is hell itself, and that we are now actually undergoing our punishment

unhappiness is not necessarily soul-destroying. But there is only too good reason to suppose that the evil effects of the mock education pro

termine by means of the latter how many young persons between the ages of twelve and twenty-one have been convicted of indictable offences during the year. But everybody who is acquainted wi

or decreased since the institution of compulsory education. Statistics relating t

ately determined. For instance, it is a well-known fact that youthful offenders have of late years been treated by magistrates with ever-increasing leniency. Consequently, fewer convictions take place no

crime; whilst, as a set-off against this, there is the fact that education teaches the criminal,

is due to two causes: firstly, to the fact that in the majority of cases they are not found out; and secondly, that many people are reluctant to bring youthful offen

places to experts in crime. But those that have been cited, and which are at once suggested by common sense, fully suffice to

however, from the year 1893. 'To answer this question,' it is stated, 'it is necessary to ascertain the proportion which youthful offenders bear to the total number o

CONVICTED OF INDICTABLE OFFENCES T

94. 1895. 189

Per cent. Per cent

.6 4.9 4.6

15.0 15.2 13.4

21.2 22.0 21.8

40.8 42.1 39.

iminished with the general diminution of crime, but that they stil

ase of crime; and the proportion of youthful offenders to the total number of persons convicted is only calculated, in view of the great amount of

hem that the education of the masses there has brought about an overwhelming increase in t

sed during the last quarter of a century. But, without making an exhaustive inquiry into the alterations that may have taken place in the law, the

leakage in respect to school-attendance, it does not follow that juvenile offenders are drawn from this truant class to a disproportionate extent. It must be remembered, on the contrary, that a great am

aifs and Strays Society to take under its care a child of ten, who had written, filled up, and cashed, a postal order that it might buy more lollipops. Increased knowledge, especially when not adequately accompanied by moral and religious education, will create new tastes, desires, and ambitions, that make for evil as well as for good

these are the stages that can be noted everywhere among those who have had more "schooling" than their fathers. Australia consumes more alcohol per head than any nation. In Australia primary education is more universal than in England, and yet there criminals have inc

haplains attached to the great convict prisons, and they are pra

which are fruitful sources of that kind of crime which is in these days most prevalent.... This superficial education causes, I think, self-deceit as well as self-conceit, and make

d speculate, in order to keep up a false position. I have come across those who have fallen where this has confessedly been the case, and who have lamented that such wrong ideas had been p

to let the facts speak for themselves. It cannot well be disputed that unsuitable education, or sham education, or whatever one may like to call it, is the direct cause of widespread dissatisfaction amongst the very classes from which the majority of criminals are recruite

n of criminals have been taught at least to read and write. Given two boys, one of whom had acquired a smattering of facts at school and had learnt the Catechism very perfectly by rote, wh

n in life. People do not need moral instruction; they acquire all their morality in the school of life. It is impossible to teach boys and girls theoretically to be virtuous. All that can be

ndividual the environment to which he is adapted by nature. This life has become such a mockery that people talk of heaven as a st

produced. And if we concede that these anomalies are directly or indirectly brought about by false and irrational methods of