Anarchy 43/Stunted to school - Revision history

Ivanhoe at 09:20, 26 September 2021

2021-09-26T09:20:45Z

69.50.165.95 at 23:15, 12 April 2017

2017-04-12T23:15:47Z

69.50.165.95: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) SEPTEMBER 1964
Stunted to school | author = Leila Berg | section = | previous = ../|Contents of No. 4..."

2017-04-12T23:09:01Z

Created page with "{{header | title = [[../|ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) SEPTEMBER 1964]]<br>Stunted to school | author = Leila Berg | section = | previous = ../|Contents of No. 4..."

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{{header
| title = [[../|ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) SEPTEMBER 1964]]<br>Stunted to school
| author = Leila Berg
| section =
| previous = [[../|Contents of No. 43]]
| next = [[../Primary courtesies|Primary courtesies]]
| notes = ''LEILA BERG who used to run a nursery school at her home is a writer of children{{s}} books who contributed to'' [[Anarchy 39/Not quite the right idea|{{sc|anarchy}} 39]].
}}

<div style="max-width:500px; margin:auto;">{{p|257}}

<font size="5">'''Stunted<br>to school'''</font>

<font size="4">'''[[Author:Leila Berg|LEILA BERG]]'''</font>

<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|It seems strange to me that people should fight}} so hard, and so rightly, over education for children from five upwards{{dash|primary, secondary, university}}and not care at all what has happened to the child before this.

{{tab}}For their first five years, thousands of our children are unable to grow. They live in flats{{dash|new flats}}where their mothers have to keep all windows permanently locked because the child might climb and fall to the concrete ground; where the balconies, the only nearby play-<wbr>space, are also kept permanently locked because the walls have been built too low; where the inside walls and floors are so thin, and let so much noise through, that children cannot run across the floor to greet their father when he comes home from work; where mothers walk round and round the block with the baby in the pram and the small children hanging on to the pram handle because father, who is working nights, is asleep; where the children who cannot play upstairs cannot play downstairs either because the mother{{dash|eight or nine stories up}}cannot see them, or get to them quickly when they need her, and dangerous traffic runs nearby.

{{tab}}It is, ironically, the gradual realisation that there must surely be a better, saner, happier, more human way of living than this, that will finally break the ban on nursery school building. Mothers cannot go on like this much longer. I heard recently of one who arrived hysterical at a nursery school that was already filled to capacity, and said if they would not take her children she would abandon them; they took them{{dash}}and now she has begun to have joy in them.

{{tab}}So mothers come to the nursery school with children whose infant education has already been stunted by their environment, and those of them who are lucky enough to get in{{dash|how pitifully inadequate the number is}}begin to grow.

{{tab}}They have space, they have a tranquil and interested love, they have time, the long time of childhood, that is abundantly theirs, they have access to the basic things{{dash|sand, water, earth, grass, and clay, with a flowing changing uncramped sky above}}and they begin to make relationships, to appreciate first themselves and then other people as unique human beings. They begin to make patterns of casual co-<wbr>operat{{p|258}}ing that is very beautiful to see, like ballet.

{{tab}}And their parents too begin to grow. In nursery schools, parents are welcome, parents are part of the whole educational vision. There are no notices in nursery schools that say {{qq|Parents may not come beyond this point.}} They are not kept outside the gates while their children scream for them. They come in with the children, and they stay, and they talk and watch and discuss and wonder. The realisation comes to them that it is possible to ''rejoice'' in a child{{s}} laughter, a child{{s}} dancing, a child{{s}} exploring, a child{{s}} developing skills, a child{{s}} growing independence, a child{{s}} glee. All these things, which had been so twisting them with anxiety and anger, for they saw them only as a threat, because their environment had become more important to them than the child, they begin at last to see as the human heritage. They suddenly see that to behave like this{{dash|joyously, spontaneously, curiously}}is ''possible''. Nothing dreadful happens. The sky does not fall. Their children are happy, not depraved. And then they see that what is wrong is their environment, the way they are living. And this they will then begin to change.

{{tab}}Then we will have homes where children can play together, where they can have cats and rabbits, where they can dance and sing without guilt. We will have as many nursery schools as mothers need, because small children, even in the best of homes, need a bridge into the outside world. And then the children will not come already stunted to the primary schools.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stunted to school}}
[[Category:Children]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:Articles]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
-<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|It seems strange to me that people should fight}} so hard, and so rightly, over edu&shy;ca&shy;tion for chil&shy;dren from five up&shy;wards{{dash|prim&shy;ary, second&shy;ary, uni&shy;ver&shy;sity}}and not care at all what has hap&shy;pened to the child before this.
+<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|It seems strange to me that people should fight}} so hard, and so rightly, over edu&shy;ca&shy;tion for chil&shy;dren from five up&shy;wards—prim&shy;ary, second&shy;ary, uni&shy;ver&shy;sity—and not care at all what has hap&shy;pened to the child before this.
-{{tab}}For their first five years, thou&shy;sands of our chil&shy;dren are un&shy;able to grow. They live in flats{{dash|new flats}}where their mothers have to keep all win&shy;dows per&shy;man&shy;ently locked be&shy;cause the child might climb and fall to the con&shy;crete ground; where the bal&shy;con&shy;ies, the only nearby play-<wbr>space, are also kept per&shy;man&shy;ently locked be&shy;cause the walls have been built too low; where the inside walls and floors are so thin, and let so much noise through, that chil&shy;dren cannot run across the floor to greet their father when he comes home from work; where mothers walk round and round the block with the baby in the pram and the small chil&shy;dren hang&shy;ing on to the pram handle be&shy;cause father, who is work&shy;ing nights, is asleep; where the chil&shy;dren who cannot play up&shy;stairs cannot play down&shy;stairs either be&shy;cause the mother{{dash|eight or nine stories up}}cannot see them, or get to them quickly when they need her, and dan&shy;ger&shy;ous traf&shy;fic runs nearby.
+{{tab}}For their first five years, thou&shy;sands of our chil&shy;dren are un&shy;able to grow. They live in flats—new flats—where their mothers have to keep all win&shy;dows per&shy;man&shy;ently locked be&shy;cause the child might climb and fall to the con&shy;crete ground; where the bal&shy;con&shy;ies, the only nearby play-<wbr>space, are also kept per&shy;man&shy;ently locked be&shy;cause the walls have been built too low; where the inside walls and floors are so thin, and let so much noise through, that chil&shy;dren cannot run across the floor to greet their father when he comes home from work; where mothers walk round and round the block with the baby in the pram and the small chil&shy;dren hang&shy;ing on to the pram handle be&shy;cause father, who is work&shy;ing nights, is asleep; where the chil&shy;dren who cannot play up&shy;stairs cannot play down&shy;stairs either be&shy;cause the mother—eight or nine stories up—cannot see them, or get to them quickly when they need her, and dan&shy;ger&shy;ous traf&shy;fic runs nearby.
-{{tab}}It is, ironic&shy;ally, the grad&shy;ual real&shy;isa&shy;tion that there must surely be a better, saner, hap&shy;pier, more hu&shy;man way of liv&shy;ing than this, that will fin&shy;ally break the ban on nurs&shy;ery school build&shy;ing. Mothers cannot go on like this much longer. I heard re&shy;cently of one who ar&shy;rived hys&shy;ter&shy;ical at a nurs&shy;ery school that was al&shy;ready filled to capa&shy;city, and said if they would not take her chil&shy;dren she would aban&shy;don them; they took them{{dash}}and now she has begun to have joy in them.
+{{tab}}It is, ironic&shy;ally, the grad&shy;ual real&shy;isa&shy;tion that there must surely be a better, saner, hap&shy;pier, more hu&shy;man way of liv&shy;ing than this, that will fin&shy;ally break the ban on nurs&shy;ery school build&shy;ing. Mothers cannot go on like this much longer. I heard re&shy;cently of one who ar&shy;rived hys&shy;ter&shy;ical at a nurs&shy;ery school that was al&shy;ready filled to capa&shy;city, and said if they would not take her chil&shy;dren she would aban&shy;don them; they took them—and now she has begun to have joy in them.
-{{tab}}So mothers come to the nurs&shy;ery school with chil&shy;dren whose in&shy;fant edu&shy;ca&shy;tion has al&shy;ready been stun&shy;ted by their en&shy;vir&shy;on&shy;ment, and those of them who are lucky enough to get in{{dash|how piti&shy;fully in&shy;ad&shy;equate the num&shy;ber is}}begin to grow.
+{{tab}}So mothers come to the nurs&shy;ery school with chil&shy;dren whose in&shy;fant edu&shy;ca&shy;tion has al&shy;ready been stun&shy;ted by their en&shy;vir&shy;on&shy;ment, and those of them who are lucky enough to get in—how piti&shy;fully in&shy;ad&shy;equate the num&shy;ber is—begin to grow.
-{{tab}}They have space, they have a tran&shy;quil and in&shy;ter&shy;ested love, they have time, the long time of child&shy;hood, that is abund&shy;antly theirs, they have ac&shy;cess to the basic things{{dash|sand, water, earth, grass, and clay, with a flow&shy;ing chan&shy;ging un&shy;cramped sky above}}and they begin to make rela&shy;tion&shy;ships, to ap&shy;pre&shy;ciate first them&shy;selves and then other people as unique hu&shy;man beings. They begin to make pat&shy;terns of casual co-<wbr>oper&shy;at&shy;{{p|258}}ing that is very beauti&shy;ful to see, like ballet.
+{{tab}}They have space, they have a tran&shy;quil and in&shy;ter&shy;ested love, they have time, the long time of child&shy;hood, that is abund&shy;antly theirs, they have ac&shy;cess to the basic things—sand, water, earth, grass, and clay, with a flow&shy;ing chan&shy;ging un&shy;cramped sky above—and they begin to make rela&shy;tion&shy;ships, to ap&shy;pre&shy;ciate first them&shy;selves and then other people as unique hu&shy;man beings. They begin to make pat&shy;terns of casual co-<wbr>oper&shy;at&shy;{{p|258}}ing that is very beauti&shy;ful to see, like ballet.
-{{tab}}And their parents too begin to grow. In nurs&shy;ery schools, parents are wel&shy;come, parents are part of the whole edu&shy;ca&shy;tional vision. There are no notices in nurs&shy;ery schools that say {{qq|Parents may not come beyond this point.}} They are not kept out&shy;side the gates while their chil&shy;dren scream for them. They come in with the chil&shy;dren, and they stay, and they talk and watch and dis&shy;cuss and won&shy;der. The real&shy;isa&shy;tion comes to them that it is pos&shy;sible to ''re&shy;joice'' in a child{{s}} laugh&shy;ter, a child{{s}} dan&shy;cing, a child{{s}} ex&shy;plor&shy;ing, a child{{s}} de&shy;velop&shy;ing skills, a child{{s}} grow&shy;ing in&shy;de&shy;pend&shy;ence, a child{{s}} glee. All these things, which had been so twist&shy;ing them with anxi&shy;ety and anger, for they saw them only as a threat, be&shy;cause their en&shy;vir&shy;on&shy;ment had be&shy;come more im&shy;port&shy;ant to them than the child, they begin at last to see as the hu&shy;man herit&shy;age. They sud&shy;denly see that to be&shy;have like this{{dash|joy&shy;ously, spon&shy;tan&shy;eously, curi&shy;ously}}is ''pos&shy;sible''. Nothing dread&shy;ful hap&shy;pens. The<!-- 'They' in original --> sky does not fall. Their chil&shy;dren are happy, not de&shy;praved. And then they see that what is wrong is their en&shy;vir&shy;on&shy;ment, the way they are liv&shy;ing. And this they will then begin to change.
+{{tab}}And their parents too begin to grow. In nurs&shy;ery schools, parents are wel&shy;come, parents are part of the whole edu&shy;ca&shy;tional vision. There are no notices in nurs&shy;ery schools that say {{qq|Parents may not come beyond this point.}} They are not kept out&shy;side the gates while their chil&shy;dren scream for them. They come in with the chil&shy;dren, and they stay, and they talk and watch and dis&shy;cuss and won&shy;der. The real&shy;isa&shy;tion comes to them that it is pos&shy;sible to ''re&shy;joice'' in a child{{s}} laugh&shy;ter, a child{{s}} dan&shy;cing, a child{{s}} ex&shy;plor&shy;ing, a child{{s}} de&shy;velop&shy;ing skills, a child{{s}} grow&shy;ing in&shy;de&shy;pend&shy;ence, a child{{s}} glee. All these things, which had been so twist&shy;ing them with anxi&shy;ety and anger, for they saw them only as a threat, be&shy;cause their en&shy;vir&shy;on&shy;ment had be&shy;come more im&shy;port&shy;ant to them than the child, they begin at last to see as the hu&shy;man herit&shy;age. They sud&shy;denly see that to be&shy;have like this—joy&shy;ously, spon&shy;tan&shy;eously, curi&shy;ously—is ''pos&shy;sible''. Nothing dread&shy;ful hap&shy;pens. The<!-- 'They' in original --> sky does not fall. Their chil&shy;dren are happy, not de&shy;praved. And then they see that what is wrong is their en&shy;vir&shy;on&shy;ment, the way they are liv&shy;ing. And this they will then begin to change.
 {{tab}}Then we will have homes where chil&shy;dren can play toge&shy;ther, where they can have cats and rab&shy;bits, where they can dance and sing with&shy;out guilt. We will have as many nurs&shy;ery schools as mothers need, be&shy;cause small chil&shy;dren, even in the best of homes, need a bridge into the out&shy;side world. And then the child&shy;ren will not come al&shy;ready stun&shy;ted to the prim&shy;ary schools.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{header
-  | title      = [[../|ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) SEPTEMBER 1964]]<br>Stunted to school
+  | title      = [[../|ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) September 1964]]<br>Stunted to school
   | author     = Leila Berg
   | section    =

Anarchy 43/Stunted to school - Revision history

Ivanhoe at 09:20, 26 September 2021

69.50.165.95 at 23:15, 12 April 2017

69.50.165.95: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) SEPTEMBER 1964Stunted to school | author = Leila Berg | section = | previous = ../|Contents of No. 4..."

69.50.165.95: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) SEPTEMBER 1964
Stunted to school | author = Leila Berg | section = | previous = ../|Contents of No. 4..."