what do you learn about the system of education in old british schools from the play 'The Browning Version'?
Answers
The system of old British schools as reflected by the story shows that the system was quite formal and conservative in nature. The teachers did not have a very good rapport with the students with the stress being more on keeping a respectable distance between the two rather than a friendly approach. Classical learning was encouraged more than the sciences which were still in its infancy. Teachers like Crocker-Harris commanded immense respect from students even though his teaching methods were set apart from the rest. Students were expected to be at their best at all times and work hard without expectations of being favoured. The student-teacher relationship was one of respect but with young teachers coming into the picture, things would probably chnage towards a more interactive process.
1° old British schools much stress was laid on the study of classical languages—Latin and Greek. Students of the lower fifth form were made to learn a classic play like the Agamemnon. Since the stress was on the acquisition of language, the students found it dis-interesting and very unpleasant. They could specialise only after completing fifth form.
There was a system of punishment. For a simple error one had to repeat fifty lines. Students were also “kept in’ or called for ‘Extra work’. They were mortally afraid of teachers like Mr Crocker-Harris who would abide by rules and show no human feelings. At the same time, the school had teachers who were sadists and others who would break the rules and tell results to the students. Students like Tap low were afraid of hard masters like Mr Crocker-Harris, still they liked him.