The Child is Father of the Man
Editorial
” The child is father of the man ” is a saying whose apparent paradox must have delighted its original hearers as much as its speaker. Un-* fortunately it has now become so well known that it is wearisome instead of delightful, and its meaning seldom considered. In a culture like the Athenian, where all are seeking for some new thing, there is little patience with well-known phrases, and anything which seems familiar seems also dull. But Mr. Justice Holmes’ warning is still timely?that we need more study of the obvious and less investigation of the obscure.
There is, therefore, no need to apologize for emphasizing the paramount place of Child Guidance in preventive medicine. This is particularly so at a time when the raising of the school-leaving age is accompanied by the shortage of teachers, and the increase in crime by the shortage of police.
We are fortunate in this number to be able to publish accounts of three closely linked aspects of the problem?a survey of Child Guidance and its scope, a study of the problem of juvenile delinquency, and a description of a school.
Naturally we do not imply that these are the only aspects?and indeed it is to be hoped that the new Health Services will be able to co-ordinate and integrate all the existing ones into a more comprehensive whole. We may help them to do so if we can get clear in our own minds what are the main problems in this field for doctor, nurse, social worker, probation officer and educationalist, where their functions overlap and how they can collaborate. It is evident from the writers of the articles in this number that the best approach is by means of a team and not by a single specialist. The contribution of each individual in the team is essential.
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