Heinlein on Education
"Fischer, Dennis@CDCR" <[email protected]> Tue, 13 Mar 2018 19:09:17 +0000
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From Heinlein's "Tenderfoot in Space"
"In the first place we don't have the eighteen-year rule. You can quit scho=
ol today. You know how to read. Your handwriting is sloppy but it will do. =
You are quick in arithmetic. You can't spell worth a hoot, but that's your =
misfortunate; the city fathers don't care whether you learn to spell or not=
. You've got all the education the City of Borealis feels obliged to give y=
ou. If you want to take a flame gun and start carving out your chunk of the=
jungle, nobody is standing in your way. I can write a note to the Board of=
Education, telling them that Charles Vaughn Jr. has gone as far as he ever=
will. You needn't come back tomorrow."
Charles gulped. He had never heard of anyone being dropped from school for =
anything less than a knife fight. It was unthinkable-what would his folks s=
ay?
"On the other hand, " Mr. deSoto went on, "Venus needs educated citizens. W=
e'll keep anybody as long as they keep learning. The city will even send yo=
u back to Earth for advanced training if you are worth it, because we need =
scientists and engineers...and more teachers. But this is a struggling new =
community and it doesn't have a penny to waste on kids who won't study. We =
do flunk them in this school. If you don't study, we'll lop you off so fast=
you'll think you've been trimmed with a flame gun. We're not running the s=
tory of overgrown kindergarten you were in. It's up to you. Buckle down and=
learn...or get out. So go home and talk it over with your folks."
...In a few weeks [Charlie] discovered that even algebra could be interesti=
ng...and that old Frozen Face was an interesting teacher when Charlie had s=
tudied hard enough to know what the man was talking about.
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<p class=3D"MsoNormal">From Heinlein’s “Tenderfoot in SpaceR=
21;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">“In the first place we don’t have the ei=
ghteen-year rule. You can quit school today. You know how to read. Your han=
dwriting is sloppy but it will do. You are quick in arithmetic. You canR=
17;t spell worth a hoot, but that’s your misfortunate;
the city fathers don’t care whether you learn to spell or not. You&#=
8217;ve got all the education the City of Borealis feels obliged to give yo=
u. If you want to take a flame gun and start carving out your chunk of the =
jungle, nobody is standing in your way. I can
write a note to the Board of Education, telling them that Charles Vaughn J=
r. has gone as far as he ever will. You needn’t come back tomorrow.&#=
8221;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Charles gulped. He had never heard of anyone being d=
ropped from school for anything less than a knife fight. It was unthinkable=
—what would his folks say?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">“On the other hand, “ Mr. deSoto went on=
, “Venus needs educated citizens. We’ll keep anybody as long as=
they keep learning. The city will even send you back to Earth for advanced=
training if you are worth it, because we need scientists
and engineers…and more teachers. But this is a struggling new commun=
ity and it doesn’t have a penny to waste on kids who won’t stud=
y. We
<i>do</i> flunk them in this school. If you don’t study, we’ll =
lop you off so fast you’ll think you’ve been trimmed with a fla=
me gun. We’re not running the story of overgrown kindergarten you wer=
e in. It’s up to you. Buckle down and learn…or get out. So go
home and talk it over with your folks.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">…In a few weeks [Charlie] discovered that even=
algebra could be interesting…and that old Frozen Face was an interes=
ting teacher when Charlie had studied hard enough to know what the man was =
talking about.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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