Education︵ is not︵ an︵ end, but︵ a means to an︵ end. In︵ otherwords, we do not educate children▼only for the purpose︵ of educating them;our purpose is to fit them for life. As soon︵ as we realize this fact, we will understand that▼ it︵ is very important to choose︵ a good way of︵ education▼which will really preparechildren for life.
In many modern countries▼it has for some time been fashionable to think that, by free education for︵ all--whether rich︵ or poor,↗ clever︵ or stupid↘--one can solve all the problems︵ of society▼and build︵ a perfect nation.But it's already clearthat▼ universal education for︵ all is not ︵the answer. We find︵ in such countries that▼ there are many, many university graduates; so many that there aren't enough positions forthem to fill. And because︵ of their qualifications, they refused todo what they think "low" work; and︵ in fact, work with hands︵ is thought to be dirty↗and shameful▼in such countries.
But we have to understand that▼ the work︵ of︵ a completely uneducated farmer▼is more︵ important than that︵ of︵ a professor▼in︵ a way. We can live without︵ education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned︵ our streets▼and took the rubbish︵ away from︵ our houses, we should get terriblediseases▼in︵ our towns. In countries wherethere︵ are no servants▼because nobody is willing to do such work, the professors have to waste much︵ oftheir time▼doing housework.
In fact,when we say that▼ all︵ of︵ us must be educated to fit︵ usfor life, it means that▼ we must be educated in such︵ away that, firstly, each︵ ofus can do whatever job︵ is suited to his brain↗︵ and︵ ability,and secondly, that we can, realize that all jobs︵ are necessary to society, and that it︵ is verybad▼ tobe unwilling to do one's work, or to laugh︵ atsomeone︵ else's. Only such︵ a type︵ of︵ education▼ can be calledvaluable to society.教育--达到目的的手段
教育不是目的，而是一种达到目的手段。也就是说，我们并不是仅仅为了教育孩子而教育孩子。我们的目的是让他们适应生活。一旦认清这一点我们便会理解，选择一种好的教育方法是十分重要的，这种教育方法要真正能为孩子的未来生活作好准备。
在许多现代国家，一些年来流行的看法是，对所有孩子--不管他富裕还是贫穷，聪明还是愚笨--实行义务教育，我们就能解决一切社会问题，建设一个完美的国家。但是，我们早已看到，对所有人实行义务教育是不够的；我们发现，在这些国家，大学程度的人很多很多，多到没有那么多工作岗位让他们去填满。由于他们的学历高，他们拒绝做他们认为是“低贱”的工作；事实上，在这些国家，体力工作被看做是肮脏的、丢脸的。
但是我们必须懂得，从某种角度看，一个完全没有受过教育的农民，他的工作比一位教授的工作更为重要：没有教育我们还能活下去，但没有食物我们便会饿死。在我们的城镇里，假如没有人清扫街道，从屋子里弄走垃圾，我们就会得可怕的疾病。因为没有人愿意干这样的活儿，一些国家便没有佣人，那么教授们就不得不浪费许多时间来干家务活儿。
事实上，我们说所有的人都必须接受教育以适应生活，也就是说我们必须以这样的方式接受教育：首先，我们每一个人能做与他自己脑力体力相适应的工作；其次，我们能够认识到，对社会来说所有工作都是必要的，不愿干自己的工作或嘲笑别人的工作都是不对的。只有这样一种教育才能叫做对社会有价值的教育。
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