Quotes from the grave- Bertrand Russell: On Education:
Why would we look to history for help? Certainly more modern approaches have a better understanding of kids today.
There must be in the world many parents who, like the present author, have young children whom they are anxious to educate as well as possible, but reluctant to expose to the evils of most existing educational institutions.
The way is clear. Do we love our children enough to take it ? Or shall we let them suffer as we have suffered ? Shall we let them be twisted and stunted and terrified in youth, to be killed afterwards in futile wars which their intelligence was too cowed to prevent ? A thousand ancient fears obstruct the road to happiness and freedom. But love can conquer fear, and if we love our children nothing can make us withhold the great gift which it is in our power to bestow.
I have tried to bring before the reader the wonderful possibilities which are now open to us. Think what it would mean : health, freedom, happiness, kindness, intelligence, all nearly universal. In one generation. if we chose. we could bring the millennium.
Listed as “Unpopular Essays”, 1926. Quoted from the first and last few sentences of his book.