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Change in
society
Sir, — The Canberra Times of
April 12 contained a report of
young people's eagerness to
change our society and their discontent
that schools are not helping
them to do so.
Their complaints are just.
At the same time, we should
remember that the word "school"
originally implied "leisure" —
essentially, freedom from the
cares and stresses of direct political
activity.
1 believe schools should be
agents of change.
1 believe they will be most
effective as agents of change if
they concentrate on forming
good, articulate people who will
as responsible adults, be both
able and determined to change
society.
Of the two, it. is competcnce
the school should be most concerned
about; for its proper object
is the development and
transmission of knowledge and
skill. Concern for goodness it
shares with other communities.
More: it is my conviction that
in so far as schools do not teach
children to express themselves
articulately and civilly, they in
fact and against their intention
force them to express themselves
in most inarticulate and
most uncivil violence.
We face a long, hard climb
back to civility — which is what
community is all about.
JOHN W. DOYLE
Yarralumula*
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