SIXTH FORMS AND " THE SPECTATOR "
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I was much interested in Dr. Terry Thomas's account of the use made in his Sixth Form of weekly discussions based on the current issue of The Spectator as a means for teaching contemporary affairs ; and I can readily believe his claim that by this means the interest of the boys in aroused, and their sympathies widened.
I am sorry, however, that he regards the use of a weekly paper for this purpose as a substitute for regular courses in the social sciences, instead of as a supplement to them. Surely what is required, if his boys are to leave school adequately trained to judge public affairs wisely, is that these weekly discussions should have as a background some knowledge of economics and of political science. A Current Events class may be of value to arouse interest in younger boys, but it seems unfortunate for a Sixth Form to be satisfied with so superficial an approach. How, for instance, could an article on such economic questions as the Gold Standard, the Budget, Currency, Tariff Reform, or changes in the level of prices, be understood without some knowledge of the principles of economics and finance ? How can any question of inter- national politics,- or of the difference between Dictatorships and Democracies, be understood without some background of contemporary history, and of the conceptions underlying such terms as " the State," " Liberty " and " Justice " ?
One of the weaknesses of public opinion today is that most citizens form strong views on so superficial an acquaintance with their subject. It is particularly unfortunate, therefore, that a school should appear to encourage young people to believe that they can have a considered view as the result of reading a newspaper article (and which newspaper would claim to be completely free of party bias ?) or of a morning's discussion.
Dr. Terry Thomas might as well advocate the abolition of the teaching of the physical sciences and the substitution of a weekly reading of Nature.
There is no need for Sixth Form courses in social sciences to be unduly narrow. In some of the public and secondary schools of today their scope is admirably wide. Dr. Terry Thomas himself appears somewhat doubtful of the value of the traditional subjects as training for the mind, and it would probably be generally agreed among educational thinkers today that the study of the social sciences is far more likely to train the mind to think clearly and to recognise prejudice, with regard to those matters on which a citizen will be called upon to express an opinion, than is the study of languages or
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