The thing that is worrying me is that Mr. Mill was rather stupid and had a bad memory and he grew up 180 years ago. I thought that it was quite unusual for a boy my age to read Greek because a lot of people on the Circle Line were surprised that I was reading it but now I think that this is probably fallacious. Most of the people on the Circle Line did not say anything at all but I thought they would be surprised because the people who said something were surprised. This is stupid because if they were not surprised why would they say something? And now I am supposed to start school in three months.
2
a, b, c
6 September, 1993
Today we went to the school to talk to my teacher. Sibylla was very nervous about it. I think she was worried because she knew I would be behind. Every time I asked her she said not to worry about it. She has an old book called Six Theories of Child Development but it is not very specific.
When we reached the school we encountered an unexpected setback.
We went into the year one classroom and Sibylla introduced herself.
‘I’m Sibylla Newman, and this is Stephen,’ she explained to the teacher, though actually she hadn’t been able to find the birth certificate to make sure before we left.
‘I think you may be his teacher this year,’ she added. ‘I thought I should talk to you.’
The teacher’s name was Linda Thompson. ‘I’ll just check the print-out,’ she replied.
She took out a print-out and perused it.
‘I can’t seem to find Stephen,’ she reported at last!
‘Who?’ queried Sibylla.
‘Stephen? You did say his name was Stephen?’ enquired Ms. Thompson.
‘Oh yes, yes I did,’ confirmed Sibylla. ‘Stephen. Or Steve. It’s a bit soon to tell.’
‘Pardon?’
‘He’s a bit young to reach a final decision.’
‘Are you sure this is the right school?’ asked Ms. Thompson.
‘Well, we live right down the street,’ replied Sibylla.
‘You should have registered for a place last year,’ Ms. Thompson informed her.
‘Good heavens,’ exclaimed Sibylla. ‘I had no idea. But what do I do now?’
Ms. Thompson said she thought all the places were filled.
‘So does that mean he should wait another year?’ enquired Sibylla.
‘Oh no. He’s legally required to attend school. Besides, you wouldn’t want him to fall behind. It’s very important for children to be at the same level as others in their age group.’
‘That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,’ commented Sibylla. ‘He’s never been to play group or anything. I just did things with him at home, and I’m a little worried …’
‘Oh, he’ll catch up in no time,’ Ms. Thompson assured her. ‘But he really mustn’t miss a year. How old is Stephen now?’
‘Six,’ Sibylla informed her.
‘SIX!’ ejaculated Ms. Thompson. She glanced at me in dismay. ‘Stephen,’ she said cordially, ‘why don’t you go and look at the building blocks down at the end of the classroom?’
‘Surely we should not discuss his education in his absence,’ demurred Sibylla.
Ms. Thompson appeared agitated. She exclaimed, ‘He should have started when he was five!!!’
Sibylla replied, ‘Five! I’m sure I started school when I was six.’
Ms. Thompson observed that in Britain all children started school at the age of five, and that a year or two of nursery school was recommended.
Sibylla queried, ‘So you mean he could have started school last year?’
Ms. Thompson asseverated, ‘Not only could but should, it is extremely important for a child to be with his peers as part of the learning experience.’
This is exactly what it said in the book. ‘During the crucial formative period of children’s lives, the school functions as the primary setting for the cultivation and social validation of cognitive competencies,’ I concurred.
‘What was that?’ questioned Ms. Thompson.
‘I’ll just go and have a word with the head,’ interpolated Sibylla. ‘Lu— Stephen, you wait here.’
I did not want to make Sibylla feel guilty because I had missed a year of school so I thought this would be a good time to find out what I had missed.
I remarked to Ms. Thompson, ‘Could you give me some idea of the material covered in year one because I am afraid I am a long way behind the rest.’
‘I’m sure you’ll adjust beautifully,’ assured Ms. Thompson, with a warm smile.
I persevered, ‘Have they read Isocrates’ Ad Demonicum?’
Ms. Thompson said they had not. I was glad because it sounds hard. I probed, ‘What about the Cyropaedia?’
Ms. Thompson asked what it was. I explained that it was by Xenophon and I did not really know what it was about. Ms. Thompson said she had never heard of anyone reading it in year one.
I enquired, ‘Well, what do people read?’
Ms. Thompson said abilities and interests differed and people read different things.
I said, ‘Well, I have only read the Iliad and the Odyssey in Greek and De Amicitia and Metamorphoses 1–8 in Latin and Moses and the Bullrushes and Joseph and his Manycoloured Coat and Jonah and I Samuel in Hebrew and Kalilah wa Dimnah and 31 Arabian Nights in Arabic and just Yaortu la Tortue and Babar and Tintin in French and I have only just started Japanese.’
Ms. Thompson smiled at me. She is very pretty. She has wavy blond hair and blue eyes. She said usually people would not study Arabic or Hebrew or Japanese at school at all and they would usually not start French or Greek or Latin until the age of twelve or so!
I was absolutely amazed!!!! I said that J. S. Mill had begun Greek at the age of three.
Ms. Thompson asked who was J. S. Mill!!!!!!!!
I explained that Mr. Mill was a Utilitarian who died 120 years ago.
‘Oh, a Victorian,’ commented Ms. Thompson. ‘Well, you know, Stephen, the Victorians placed a much greater value on facts for their own sake than we do. Now we’re more interested in what someone can do with what they know. One of the most important parts of school is just learning to work as a member of a group.’
‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘but Mr. Mill said he was never allowed merely to fill his head with unexamined facts. He was always forced to examine arguments and to justify his position.’
Ms. Thompson remarked, ‘Well, obviously there’s a lot to be said for that, but just the same things have moved on since Victorian times. People just don’t have the time to spend years learning dead languages any more.’
‘That was why Mr. Mill thought people should start when they were three,’ I observed.
Ms. Thompson rejoined, ‘Well, the fact is children develop at different rates, Stephen, and a lot of children would find those subjects rather off-putting. Any school system has to set priorities, so we concentrate on the things that everyone is going to be able to use. We can’t take it for granted that everyone is a genius.’
I explained that Mr. Mill thought that he was not a genius but that he had accomplished a lot because of getting a head start. I said I had not even done as much as Mr. Mill and anybody who read the book could say what was in it so I did not think I could be a genius.