ALBERT EINSTIEN AT SCHOOL

In this lesson Albert Einstein’s early life at school is explained. In the school Albert’s
straightforward and honest behavior was taken as his rude behavior. Thus the
teachers hated him and so he ended having no friends at all. Albert also hated the
system of education in his school as subjects of his interest were given less
importance. He believed in reasoning, he liked to know the why behind the things
not how and when. His math teacher was the only person in the school who
recognized the hidden genius in him. This was the only class in which Albert
enjoyed. He used to live in a poorest quarters of Munich (area). His landlady used to
beat up her children and every Saturday her husband used to beat her up. She
prohibited Albert from playing the violin, something which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Thus he hated the slum violence and its atmosphere. Albert had only one friend Yuri
who understood him. He found a doctor who helped Albert get a false certificate
saying that he was suffering from a nervous breakdown and needed a break from
school. He thought he would go to Italy and join a college or institute to continue his
higher education. His maths teacher gave a reference that certified Albert ready for
higher education. The day at school when he was ready to submit the certificate the
head master called him and told that he was being expelled from school. As
according to the teachers report it was impossible to teach during his presence at
school. Albert gets angry due to the wrong blame on him but does not utter a word
and leaves the school with pride and happiness.

1. What do you understand of Einstein’s nature from his conversations with his
history teacher, his mathematics teacher and the head teacher?
Einstein’s behavior seemed to be extremely unruly. He didn't believe in the then
prevailing system of education. His nature was a spontaneous one. He found
memorising facts and dates quite useless. Ideas lured him more than facts because
of which he had a heated argument on education with his history teacher. He was so
restless and indifferent to the importance of attending school that he didn't mind
not attending it at all. From his conversation with the Maths teacher, we come to
know that he was a student who actually had some interest in mathematics, that
being the only class in which he paid a lot of attention and never wasted his time.
He wasn't open and outright in front of his Mathematics teacher. His behavior had
turned mild before his teacher which showed his level of respect and obediance for
elders. Later, when he confronts the headmaster, we find him defensive at the
beginning and carefree at the end of the meeting.

2. The school system often curbs individual talents. Discuss.

School nowadays is about memorizing a bunch of facts and spitting them back out
on a test or exam. There is no learning involved, just memorization. Students should
be taught things of importance. The grading system is messed up too. How can you
grade something on creativity? You can't. Albert Einstein said "Everyone's a genius,
but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life
believing it is stupid"

3. How do you distinguish between information gathering and insight formation?

Information gathering refers to collection of data and facts. It means knowledge of
specific events or situations that has been gathered or received by communication.
Insight formation, on the other hand, refers to the perception one has of things
through his deep understanding of a subject. Insight refers to the capacity to
discern the true nature of a situation. Thus, it might differ from person to person,
depending on everyone's ideas and concepts.

4. Do you think that the teacher’s role should be primarily to make students think?

Ans. But in Reality, the role of a teacher is not to teach facts but to impart skills
which can make the student think. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the
teacher shows the student how to think and not what to think. The true teacher
encourages the individual to be inquisitive and to analyze the various facts and
implications of an issue. The aim of education therefore, is to produce learning
individuals, not necessarily learned ones, in an environment of freedom and
creativity. Otherwise, the very purpose of education would be lost. We would be
reminded of Mark Twain who remarked “I have never let my schooling get in the way
of my education.”

5. What made Einstein unhappy at school?

Ans. The Present Essay “Albert Einstein at school” is an interesting narration taken
from “Patrick Pringles” book “The Young Einstein”. It describes in a moving way
Einstein’s suffering at school. We often think that great and famous thinkers must
have well behaved, in born talents, studious in school, Excelled in studies from an
early age and received recognition and encouragement from teachers. But this essay
shows how a creative genius like Einstein was ridiculed by his teachers and expelled
from school for daring to be different. Einstein was a misfit at school and unable to
cope with the conventional system of education. As a student at Munich, he was
different from other boys of his age. He hated the oppressive atmosphere of the
school and was sure he would fail in the examinations. He liked to study only the
subjects which interested him. He believed that there was no point in memorizing
facts. Thus, on being asked when the battle of waterloo took place. Einstein replied
frankly that he had forgotten the date. Moreover, he added, he did not see why one
should learn dates as they could easily be looked up in a book. Einstein’s honesty is
mistaken for arrogance. He is punished and told that he is disgrace to the school.
Einstein thus, felt miserable at school and longed to escape.

6. Did Einstein succeed in leaving school? How?

Ans. Einstein hated the school at Munich and longed to escape .one day he gets an
idea, he decides to play a small drama. He would pretend that he has had a nervous
breakdown. He would say that he has been advised by the doctor to discontinue
studies. With the help of his friend, Yuri, Einstein is able to find a doctor who is
kind and understanding. The doctor gives a certificate stating that Einstein needs
rest for six months. But even before Einstein can submit the certificate, he is called
by head Teacher. “Your presence in the classroom makes it impossible for the
teacher to teach and for the other pupils to learn. You refuse to learn, you are in
constant rebellion, and no serious work can be done while you are there. The head
teacher tells Einstein that all the teachers are vexed with his rebellious attitude and
want him to leave the school. Einstein realizes that there is now no need to show the
medical certificate. He cheerfully walks out of the school which has been his prison
for the last five years.

7. What were Einstein’s views regarding rote learning? Why is mere rote learning
useless?

Ans. As a student at Munich, Einstein was different from the other boys of his age.
He was unable to cope with conventional system of education which says a lot of
emphasis on learning by rote. He believed that there was no point in memorizing
facts. Facts, he felt, could easily be looked up in books. Thus, on being asked when
the Battle of Waterloo takes place, Einstein replied frankly that he had forgotten the
date. He added that it would be more interesting to find out why soldiers had killed
one another, rather than to memorize a string of facts. “You don’t need to be good at
it. Anyone can learn like a parrot.” Einstein tells his cousin Elsa that he just cannot
learn things by heart like a parroit. Mere, Recall of facts would not be of any use.
One must attempt a proper understanding and analysis of subject.

8. “The great thinker Socrates once said: I cannot teach anybody anything. I can
only make them think”. Do you think that the teacher’s role should be primarily to
make students think?

Ans. In the Conventional System of Education the aim of the student is to get a
degree and take up a job. The task of the teacher, in such a system, is mostly to
impart factbased knowledge and help the student to do well in the examination. For
this purpose the teacher may dictate notes, mark important questions and
repeatedly “drill” students. Such a system crushes the creative genius like Einstein.
But in Reality, the role of a teacher is not to teach facts but to impart skills which
can make the student think. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the teacher
shows the student how to think and not what to think. The true teacher encourages
the individual to be inquisitive and to analyze the various facts and implications of
an issue. The aim of education therefore, is to produce learning individuals, not
necessarily learned ones, in an environment of freedom and creativity. Otherwise,
the very purpose of education would be lost. We would be reminded of Mark Twain
who remarked “I have never let my schooling get in the way of my education.”