Education

Emerson did not know it at the time, of course, but what he has described in paragraph 12 of his essay is the infamous "No Child Left Behind" policy that has been inflicted upon teachers as a form of educational torture.  When teachers are expected to pump child after child through the school system with excellent success rates there will be a countless number of children that will fall behind and force the rest of the class to slow down and ultimately learn less.  Nothing has changed since the early 1800's when Emerson wrote his essay about education.  We still attempt to "do for the masses what cannot be done for the masses".  Each child is born with and developes different talents and skills.  Each of which is necassary for society to succeed.  Each of which requires a different type of learning.  And yet the powers that be insist that every man woman and child must learn the same things, even though some will go on to be welders and some will go on to be philosophers.