Page 71 - English Expedition Class 6

‘Sure he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.’
‘He can’t. A man can’t know as much as a teacher.’
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‘He knows almost as much, I betcha .’
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Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, ‘I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house
to teach me.’
Tommy screamed with laughter. ‘You don’t know much, Margie. Th e teachers didn’t live in the
house. Th ey had a special building and all the kids went there.’
‘And all the kids learnt the same thing?’
‘Sure, if they were the same age.’
‘But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fi t the mind of each boy and girl it teaches
and that each kid has to be taught diff erently.’
‘Just the same they didn’t do it that way
then. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read
the book.’
‘I didn’t say I didn’t like it,’ Margie said
quickly. She wanted to read about those funny
schools.
Th ey weren’t even half-fi nished when
Margie’s mother called, ‘Margie! School!’
Margie looked up, ‘Not yet, Mamma.’
‘Now!’ said Mrs Jones, ‘and it’s probably
time for Tommy, too.’
Margie said to Tommy, ‘Can I read the book
some more with you aft er school?’
‘Maybe,’ he said nonchalantly . He walked
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• Why was Margie doubtful about the
away whistling, the dusty old book tucked
idea of a human teacher?
beneath his arm.
Margie went into the schoolroom. It was • Compare Margie’s and Tommy’s views
right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical on men being smart.
teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always • Why didn’t Margie dispute Tommy’s
on at the same time every day except Saturday point about his father?
and Sunday, because her mother said little girls • What was Margie imagining as she
learnt better if they learnt at regular hours. submitted her work?
Th e screen was lit up, and it said: ‘Today’s • What do you think Margie liked the
arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper most about the schools of the past?
fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in
the proper slot.’
Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s
grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and
shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of

11 betcha: bet you 13 nonchalantly: carelessly
12 dispute: disagree or argue with
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