Life, 1899-08-17 · page 15 of 20
Life — August 17, 1899 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page critiques a French educational reform called "le collège Normand," which proposed replacing classical studies (Greek and Latin) with practical subjects like natural sciences, modern languages, and geography. **The satire's point:** The author (Agnes Repplier) mocks the French belief that practical education and nationalist fervor ("esprit de corps") can strengthen the nation. She argues this is naive—France's periodic upheavals are rooted in national character, not pedagogy. Even Matthew Arnold recognized that constant "la Patrie" indoctrination doesn't erase deep cultural traits. **The photograph** shows "Mr. R. H. Davis and General Shafter"—likely a contemporary figure of note, though the connection to the education debate isn't explicit from this text. **The humor** lies in dismissing grandiose French educational schemes as unlikely to produce their promised results. The page reflects Anglo-American skepticism about continental European social engineering during the turn-of-the-century period. The aphorisms at bottom are unrelated filler content typical of Life's miscellaneous satirical observations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOT AN EARTHLY TING, which naturally fits him, in an English. man’s eyes, to be the salvation of France, As far as we can see, the ‘*école dea citoyens” is to differ little from other schools, save in having leas of Greek and Latin, and more of ‘natural sciences, modern languages, history and geogra- phy.” Why geography should be esteemed 8 better preparation for citizenship than Greek is not made clear; and it may be observed, parenthetically, that the much- snubbed classics have in no way de- atroyed the esprit de corps of English boys nor the aggressive patriotism of English- men. The projectors of ‘‘le collége Normand,” however, have pinned their faith to ‘* practical utility.” There are to be workshops, as well as desks and playgrounds, ‘*The whole system,” says its enthusiastic advocate, ‘has been designed to secure the moral, physical and mental training of individuals, so as to eventually strengthen the nation.” It must be very ‘‘eventually” that a leaven of thirty-five boys can strengthen a whole nation, or persuade France to deny herself those periodical upheavals which have long been her keen delight and her solitary extravagance. ‘ Moral, physical and mental training” is not, after all, unusual in schools, The sen- tence—or something like it—may be read in every prospectus, French lads, moreover, are told more about the great- ness of their own country, and less about the greatness of other countries, LIFE'S ALBUM OF FRIENDSHIPS. MR. R, 1, DAVIS AND GENERAL SHAFTER. than any students in the world. Mr. Matthew Arnold, it may be remembered, objected strenuously to the perpetual intrusion of ‘‘la Patric” into a French child’s education, He is taught the duties and delights of citizenship from infancy, but national characteristics are not easily uprooted. Even a master fresh from Harrow may find some diMm- culty in turning his young Celts into Saxons, and the remodeling of a race is— to say the least of it—a large order. Vast are the powers of geography, nat- ural sciences and esprit de corps; but they have yet to bridge the channel. Let us be forever grateful for their limita- tions, Agnes Repplier. HERE are only two classes of people —those who dress for breakfast and those who dress for dinner. MAN in love suspects either noth- ing or everything. comichooks.cong)