1. Write a précis 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 in spite of 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 on 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.
Solved Precis of CSS 2023
Topic: The Limits of Freedom in Education
Debates on freedom in education revolve around three views: complete freedom for children, complete authority over them, or freedom combined with moral goodness. The belief that liberty alone produces virtue is unrealistic and ignores the importance of knowledge. Education cannot rely solely on spontaneous development because societies require cooperation, discipline, and technical knowledge essential for survival in densely populated, modern communities. Pure freedom in education is impractical, as it depends on rare qualities of self-control and intelligence that cannot be developed if every impulse is unchecked. Therefore, education must be more than an environment for growth; it must intentionally provide the moral, mental, and scientific foundation that children cannot naturally acquire on their own.