{Captains and Kings -- continued}[29th October 1969]

[Redbook1:89-90][19691029:1830d]{Captains and Kings -- continued}[29th October 1969]

Wednesday 29th October 1969

6.30pm [continued]

            I find it very difficult to be an efficient, in the sense of officious, prefect here, where I believe people -- or adults, anyway, as many of us are -- should be allowed to get themselves accidentally killed rather than being forced to be careful.  For one thing, it is an inadequate preparation for life -- or is it?  Perhaps in the old days people who had been regulated obeyed the regulations even when they were no longer there, like the geese whose pen was opened before they woke up (they wouldn't go through until it had been shut and re-opened); but today our intrinsic attitudes are so different that we should be more likely to reject the regulations.

            Many of the problems in a school like this stem from the fact that some of the people need a framework within which to operate, while some need total freedom -- and those who think they need freedom or framework are not necessarily right about themselves.

            I cannot understand the movement for total democracy in schools -- or at least, I can understand it, I think, but I cannot agree with it.  How can a transient group of immature amateurs possibly know more about education than relatively permanent professionals?  On the other hand they may know more about themselves, therefore they should be allowed to advise.

            I find these Dialogue groups frustrating in the extreme -- there is so much to say that one would either want to speak for three hours without a break or not at all -- and there are ten of us (I think) with only two hours!  We keep going round in circles.

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