Quote by Walter Lippmann

If school success were a reliable index of human capacity, we should be able to go a step further and say that the intelligence test is a general measure of human capacity. But of course no such claim can be made for school success, for that would be to say that the purpose of the schools is to measure capacity. It is impossible to admit this. The childÂ’s success with school work cannot be a measure of a childÂ’s success in life. On the contrary, his success in life must be a significant measure of the schoolÂ’s success in developing the capacities of the child. If a child fails in school and then fails in life, the school cannot sit back and say: you see how accurately I predicted this. Unless we are to admit that education is essentially impotent, we have to throw back the childÂ’s failure at the school, and describe it as a failure not by the child but by the school.http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5172/

Summary

This quote addresses the misconception that school success, measured by grades or test scores, is an accurate reflection of a person's overall intelligence and future success in life. The statement highlights that the purpose of schools is not merely to assess capacity but rather to develop and enhance it. It argues that a child's success in life should serve as an indicator of whether the school has effectively nurtured their abilities, and if a child fails in school and subsequently in life, it is the school's failure rather than the child's. The quote challenges the notion that education is impotent and emphasizes the responsibility of institutions to support students in achieving success beyond academics.