System vs. Method in Education

"[Parents] absolutely must weigh principles and adopt a method of education for themselves." — Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 6

In her first volume, Charlotte Mason makes a clear distinction between a system of education and a method of education. Too often, we are tempted to adopt a system. A system implies a check-the-box mentality—the belief that if we input X, Y, and Z, we will reliably achieve a specific outcome. Systems are calculable, predictable, and above all, comforting.

Charlotte Mason cautions us, however:

"Though a system is highly useful as an instrument of education, a 'system of education' is mischievous as producing only mechanical action instead of the vital growth and movement of a living being."^1^

The Limits of Systems

Systems certainly have their place. Learning practical skills such as baking, dancing, or accounting can be effectively accomplished through a system. But grounding an entire educational philosophy in a system is deeply limiting—if not harmful.

This is why it is so important to step back and consider the broader picture of educational philosophy. Systems offer peace of mind because they promise that if we follow a prescribed process, the outcome will be satisfactory. Yet children are not machines, and their education cannot be reduced to mechanical inputs and outputs.

Mason explains the danger clearly:

"It is worthwhile to point out the differing characters of a system and a method, because parents let themselves be run away with often enough by some plausible 'system,' the object of which is to produce development in one direction—of the muscles, of the memory, of the reasoning faculty—and to rest content, as if that single development were a complete all-round education."^2^

This false sense of satisfaction, Mason suggests, arises from the natural sluggishness of human nature. Any fixed scheme is more appealing than the constant attentiveness and responsiveness required when we view the whole of a child's life as the means of education.

Even Charlotte Mason herself warned against turning her own book lists into rigid checklists. She did so because "there is always the danger that a method, a bona fide method, should degenerate into a mere system."

What Is a Method?

So what, then, is a method of education? A method is grounded in principles rather than prescriptions. It requires clarity about the purpose—or end—of education, and an understanding of the natural laws that govern a child's growth.

Mason writes:

"Method, with the end of education in view, presses the most unlikely matters into service to bring about that end… The parent who sees his way—that is, the exact force of method—to educate his child, will make use of every circumstance of the child's life almost without intention on his own part, so easy and spontaneous is a method of education based upon Natural Law."^3^

A method does not rely on formulas. Instead, it equips parents to respond wisely and flexibly to the unique needs of their children, using everyday life as the primary instrument of education.

A Question for Reflection

Are you more naturally drawn to a system or to a method of education? What steps could you take to move away from rigid systems and toward a principled, thoughtful method rooted in purpose and relationship?

Sources

1. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 9
2. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, pp. 10–11
3. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 11