Joodse traditie als permanent leren

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2, 2 Children are to be sent to school at the age of six or seven years, according to the strength of the individual child and its physical de -velcpment. But no child is to be sent to school under six years of age. The teacher may chastise his pupils to inspire them with awe. But he must not do so in a cruel manner or in a vindictive spirit. Accordingly, he must not strike them with whips or sticks, but only use a small strap. He is to teach them the whole day and part of the night, so as to train them to study by day and by night. And there is to be no holiday except on the eve of the Sabbath or festival, towards the close of the day, and on festivals. On Sabbaths, pupils are not taught a new lesson, but they repeat what they had already learnt previously, even if only once. Pupils must not be interrupted at their studies, even for the re-building of the Temple.

2.3 A teacher who leaves the children and goes out (when he should be teaching them), or does other work while he is with them, or teaches lazily, falls under the ban "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord with a slack hand" (Jer. 48:10). Hence, it is not proper to appoint any one as teacher unless he is God-fearing and well versed in reading and in grammar.

2.4 An unmarried man should not keep school for the young because the mothers come to see their children. Nor should any woman keep sc hool j because the fathers come to see them.

2. 5 Twenty-five children may be put in charge of one teacher. If the number in the class exceeds twenty-five but is not more than forty, he should have an assistant to help with the instruction. If there are more than forty, two teachers must be appointed.

2. 6 A child may be transferred from one teacher to another who is more competent in reading or grammar, only however, if both the teacher and the pupil live in the same town and are not separated by a river. But we must not take the child to school in another town nor even across a river in the same town, unless it is spanned by a firm bridge, not likely soon to collapse.

2. 7. If one of the residents in an alley or even in a court wishes to