Norwood (1943)

Notes on the text
Preliminary pages Membership, Contents, Introduction

Part I Secondary education
Chapter 1 Nature of secondary education
Chapter 2 Secondary education as it is
Chapter 3 Secondary education as it might be

Part II Examinations
Chapter 4 Existing examinations
Chapter 5 The reorganisation of examinations (i)
Chapter 6 The reorganisation of examinations (ii)
Chapter 7 The Inspectorate

Part III Curriculum
Chapter 8 The curriculum in general
Chapter 9 Physical education
Chapter 10 Religious education
Chapter 11 English
Chapter 12 History
Chapter 13 Geography
Chapter 14 Mathematics
Chapter 15 Natural science
Chapter 16 Modern languages
Chapter 17 Classics
Chapter 18 Art, music, handicrafts
Chapter 19 Domestic subjects
Chapter 20 Education for commerce
Chapter 21 Wales and the teaching of Welsh

Conclusions and recommendations
Appendix A Note on the Central Welsh Board
Appendix B List of witnesses
Index

Report of the Committee of the Secondary School Examinations Council appointed by the President of the Board of Education in 1941

London: HM Stationery Office 1943

Chapter 17 Classics
[pages 119 - 122. In the printed version this is Part III Chapter X]

We are not prepared to follow the lead of those reformers of the curriculum who would eject the study of classics from the secondary grammar school on the ground that their study is irrelevant to the purposes of modern society. We do not take the view that modern society purposes to turn its back upon its own English culture and to deny to succeeding generations one of the means of understanding themselves and their inherited traditions. We are not afraid of the word 'traditions', for continuity is essential to culture, and a deliberate cut condemns an age to ignorance of the influences which have made it and therefore denies to it real knowledge of itself. We are not led by mere conservatism to wish to preserve for the future the study of the classics because their study is traditional in the grammar schools of the past; rather we would say that it is traditional, not from accidental reasons, but from a sincere conviction, however variously expressed, that, unless a culture attains to and preserves self-knowledge, its continuity is not assured; failure in self-knowledge is a symptom of threatening decay. To such failure we would not willingly contribute, and we therefore regard it as imperative that one of the necessary means of self-knowledge, on which the vitality of a culture depends, should be promoted in the schools which are especially fitted for the purpose.

From this point of view we wish to put forward certain considerations, beginning first with the universities and, passing then to the schools. Our concern with the universities naturally relates only to the effect of their requirements upon the work of the schools.

We regard the study of Latin as of fundamental importance for university work in English, modern languages and cognate subjects, in history, law, philosophy and theology. On the other hand, in view of the increased and increasing demands made by the growth of natural science and the need for its students to use modern languages in their work, a modern language and, in particular, German might with advantage be demanded as a compulsory subject alternative with Latin, to be taken by students intending to study mathematics, pure and applied science and medicine in universities where this provision does not now apply. We make this suggestion not because we think that Latin seriously studied is of no value to, say, a student of medicine but because we see much disadvantage in a hurried course of Latin perfunctorily undertaken at the last moment merely in order to satisfy not very exacting regulations. The alternative would be to demand a knowledge of Latin which could not be so acquired; but in view of the absorbing claims of natural science upon the time of the schools and the divided opinion of those who direct natural science studies at the universities this is not a proposal which at the moment we regard as practicable.

In this connection we would express our belief that scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge awarded for classics should not be reduced in number with a view to reallocating some to other purposes: rather we think scholarships for other subjects should be increased. We urge this for two reasons - first, head masters and parents must be assured that classics in schools can lead to a career at the university, and assurance on this point is particularly necessary in the case of classics; secondly, schools other than classical schools at the university are by no means dissatisfied, we understand, with students who have taken classical scholarships and elect to read some other school either at once or after taking honour moderations or the first part of the classical tripos.

So far the argument would require that Latin should be the concern only of those who intend to undertake certain kinds of advanced studies, though it should be remembered that those undertaking such studies have increased in number recently and are likely to increase more. But the culture of an age does not depend only upon its most advanced students and the influence which they exert in their later lives. It is equally important that at lower levels also a process of self-knowledge should be encouraged; indeed this is one of the professed aims of much suggested reform of the curriculum. To this process modern methods of approaching Latin teaching can make their own special contribution.

It is not part of our task to set out in full the nature of this contribution. All we would do is to insist that much rethinking of aim and method has taken place in the teaching of Latin in recent years, and judgement on classical teaching which is based only on experience of thirty years ago is now wide of the mark. The best teachers realise that for pupils who will not go on to university studies the course must be so framed and handled that its value is consciously sought and achieved within four or five years. Directed in this spirit and aided by modern textbooks composed with this end in view, modern methods of teaching achieve their own purposes. The pupil gains a feeling of the reality of the past and its continuity with the present; he touches at first hand - thence comes the feeling of reality - the beginnings of ideas and institutions and practices and words which he meets in more complicated form in other studies; conceptions of permanent and universal relevance to western civilisation are presented to him in their elemental simplicity, untrammelled by later associations and the accidents of modern use. This first-hand introduction to a few of the root ideas of civilisation is made by means of a language which demands high mastery of the logic of sentence structure and sensitiveness to order, arrangement and correctness. In the initial stages the learner will use textbooks specially designed to provide valuable reading material in language specially adapted to his need; in later stages he will make acquaintance with a few masterpieces of Latin literature. The result will be that his range will have been extended and his present outlook enriched by association and by new significance; to many situations which will confront him later, whether in the field of language or thought or ideas, he will bring the experience of similar occasions presented to him even in four or five years' study of Latin.

We do not propose to discuss in detail the aims and methods which the modern approach to the teaching of Latin is adopting with increasing confidence and advantage. We content ourselves with drawing attention to a recent pamphlet published for the Board of Education - 'Suggestions for the teaching of classics' - in which the main trends of recent developments in practice are set out; we would commend this pamphlet to the notice of head masters and head mistresses and to classical teachers. But we do not leave the subject of classics without inviting consideration of two or three other points of practical details

(a) A convention has grown up that Latin should be the second foreign language undertaken by a pupil. We would suggest that it should become a more frequent practice for pupils who show promise of linguistic and literary ability to take Latin as their first foreign language - a measure which is approved by some teachers of French, as well as a larger number of teachers of English.

(b) The usual course of Latin at present occupies four years or five years in the main school. There is much to be said, on grounds which we need not here rehearse, in favour of an early start. But we hope that the greater freedom which we desire to see in schools will give opportunity for pupils who are late in showing aptitude for languages and have therefore not started Latin to undertake an intensive, though not hurried, course in Latin in the higher forms of the main school and to continue it in the sixth form.

(c) It has been suggested to us that freedom from an externally imposed syllabus would result in ambitious programmes carried out with little regard to depth or thoroughness. We see no reason why this result should necessarily follow. Rather we look to that freedom to enable teachers to make a much more real and thorough attempt to treat both the language and the background of Latin authors with the comment and digression which will enable contact to be made between ancient and modern ways of thought and practice. We should expect the change in most cases to intensify effort and increase a sense of purpose.

(d) We hope that wherever circumstances are favourable opportunity will be given for Greek to be introduced for as many pupils as can derive real benefit from its study. The study of Greek seriously undertaken finds ample justification in the eyes of those who pursue it and of those who direct their later studies in whatever field they may lie, and we regard it as essential to the well-being of literature and learning in this country that there should be a sufficient number of men and women with knowledge of Greek. We would encourage, too, in sixth forms the study of selected Greek literature in translation. We are not advocating superficial treatment of Greek thought or civilisation undertaken without sufficient knowledge or adequate study of the literature itself, whether in the original or translation; but, if competently directed in such a way as to demand exacting effort, the study, for example, of dialogues of Plato or of plays in translation makes its own distinctive contribution to sixth form work of many types.

(e) Next we would make brief reference to the qualifications of teachers of classics. The review of the position undertaken by the Board of Education in 1927 showed that many teachers with inadequate qualifications were engaged in the teaching of classics. Since then there has been improvement, but there is still room for much more. In our view it is desirable that the upper forms should be in the hands of teachers who have taken a classical degree, whether they teach Latin only or Latin and Greek In the lower forms there is much to be said for the teaching of Latin by those who have combined Latin or classics with English or history as a major subject in a degree course. In an earlier chapter a plea has been made for degree courses which would include the study of two or three subjects, and we think that Latin or Greek or both in conjunction with other subjects pre-eminently offer such a course.

Finally, we would refer to one aspect of classics which of late years has received less attention than formerly - we mean the importance of a knowledge of ancient thought and literature, language and history for the study of divinity. It is an opportune moment to reassert this importance, for much thought is now being given to religious instruction and the teaching of divinity. To us it seems essential that a high standard of knowledge and scholarship should be maintained in the teaching and learning of divinity both in universities and schools, and that among the educated public there should be those who, though not concerned with teaching, have the knowledge and understanding necessary to contribute to informed opinion. To such studies at their best classics seems to us to be a handmaid whose services cannot be forgone, and we would urge that this close and necessary association should be fostered in some at least of the secondary grammar schools of the future; the first and most obvious means of establishing that association would be the reading of the Greek Testament.