His inevitable
rebellion against this regime we style incorrigibility, or stupidity, and
then by main strength and authority strive to reduce him to submission
and, failing in this, we banish him from the school branded for life. Our
treatment of this boy is due to the fact that another boy in the school is
endowed with other native tendencies and the teacher is striving to
fashion both boys in the same mold.
In striving to inculcate the quality of integrity, wholeness, soundness,
rectitude in Sam Brown our aim is to develop this specific boy into the
best Sam Brown possible and not to try to make of him another Harry Smith.
We need one best Sam Brown and one best Harry Smith but not two Harry
Smiths. If we try to make our Sam Brown into a second Harry Smith, society
is certain to be the loser to the value of Sam Brown. We want to see Sam
Brown realize all his possibilities to the utmost, for only so will he win
integrity. Better a complete Sam Brown, though only half the size of Harry
Smith, than an incomplete Sam Brown of any size. If the native tendencies
of Sam Brown lead toward nature, certain it is that by denying him the
stimulus of nature study, we shall restrict his growth and render him less
than complete. If we would produce a complete Sam Brown, if we would have
him attain integrity, we must see to it that the process of teaching
engages all his powers and does not permit some of these powers to lie
fallow.
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