Barry Pain

“ You may possibly be fond of children in a way, but you do not in the least understand them. Your whole attitude towards children is purely a matter of tradition, and based on no original thought or observation of your own. Take, for instance, that absurd punishment you suggested just now: unless one chooses to think so, it is not a punishment—not even an indignity. The particular part of the floor-space of this room where two walls converge at right-angles is not intrinsically worse than any other part of it. The attitude of standing is not more shameful than the attitude of sitting. ”

“ Professors at universities, on the other hand, instructing those who have already learned to learn, are never worth more than a pound a week, and should not be paid more. The most important part of education for good or evil—and generally for evil—takes place between the ages of three and eight.
Teacher: What funny ideas you do get into your little brain! Possibly there is some sense in some of them. You think, then, I ought to be paid a very high salary for teaching you? ”

“ Knowledge has always its money value. Intelligence has also its money value. For the extremely wretched stipendium which my short-sighted father pays you he has no right to expect very much knowledge or very much intelligence, nor have I any reason to believe that he gets them. ”