Solved Precis Paper of 2023

Question no 2 :

Write a precis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title

On the question of freedom in education there are at present three main schools of thought, deriving partly from differences as to ends and partly from differences in psychological theory. There are those who say that children should be completely free, however bad they may be; there are those who say they should be completely subject to authority, however good they may be; and there are those who say they should be free, but despite freedom they should be always good. This last party is larger than it has any logical right to be children, like adults, will not all be virtuous if they are all free. The belief that liberty will ensure moral perfection is a relic of Rousseauism and would not survive a study of animals and babies. Those who hold this belief think that education should have no positive purpose but should merely offer an environment suitable for spontaneous development. I cannot agree with this school, which seems to me too individualistic, and unduly indifferent to the importance of knowledge. We live in communities which require co-operation, and it would be utopian to expect all the necessary co-operation to result from spontaneous impulse. The existence of a large population in a limited area is only possible owing to science and technique; education must, therefore, hand on the necessary minimum of these. The educators who allow most freedom are men whose success depends upon a degree of benevolence, self-control, and trained intelligence which can hardly be generated where every impulse is left unchecked; their merits, therefore, are not likely to be perpetuated if their methods are undiluted. Education, viewed from a social standpoint, must be something more positive than a mere opportunity for growth. It must, of course, provide this, but it must also provide a mental and moral equipment which children cannot acquire entirely for themselves.

Precis :  Freedom and Education: A Balancing Act

The passage presents three main schools of thought on freedom in education, where some argue for complete freedom for children, some argue for complete authority, and others argue for freedom with a moral compass. The author argues against complete freedom, citing the importance of knowledge and social co-operation. Education should provide a suitable environment for growth, but it must also impart necessary mental and moral equipment that children cannot acquire by themselves. The educators who allow the most freedom should also have benevolence, self-control, and trained intelligence to guide children effectively. Education, from a social standpoint, must balance growth and the acquisition of knowledge and moral values.