Albert Einstein at School
By Patrick Pringle
About
the Author
He was born in 1935 in Rochester, New York.
Pringle grew up in Mendon, a rural town just south of his birthplace. He was
educated in a one-room schoolhouse, where one teacher handled the first through
eighth grades. In 1945, the schoolhouse closed, and Pringle was sent to a
central school in Honeoye Falls. This school, the author recalled in SAAS,
"had a library that fed my hunger for books.
After graduating from high school, Pringle worked
for a year in the kitchen of the county hospital. In 1954 he enrolled at
Cornell University, majoring in wildlife conservation. At Cornell, Pringle's
interest in nature was nurtured by his classes and by vacations with friends.
In 1958 Pringle began a master's degree program
at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. While his research on
cottontails earned him a degree, he continued to pursue his interest in
mammalian predators.
In 1968, Pringle published his first book,
Dinosaurs and Their World. A basic treatment of selected dinosaurs, their
evolution, and how paleontologists learn about them.
In 1970 Pringle became a freelance writer and
during the remainder of the 1970s continued to publish well-received titles on
nature and ecological subjects.
Pringle has been praised as one of the top
writers of informational books for readers from elementary through high school.
Educated as a wildlife biologist, Pringle is noted as the author of
authoritative, well-researched works that inform readers about the natural
sciences and the environment.
Pringle's works provide information on nature
and the environment while emphasizing the dangers that threaten the earth and
its resources. Several of these books are about the world's rivers, forests,
oceans, and deserts as well as about man-made hazards such as nuclear energy,
nuclear war, global warming, oil spills, pollution, acid rain, and radiation.
Pringle also writes about what people can do to protect their environment, such
as recycling, fighting world hunger, and protecting biological diversity. In
addition, he has addressed such subjects as mammals, insects, birds, and fish
as well as related topics, including the animal rights movement and what
happens to tame animals released in the wild. He has also authored biographies
of prominent naturalists, illustrating their work with such animals as wolves,
scorpions, bats, dolphins, and elephants.
Introduction
Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, in the Kingdom
of Württemberg in the German Empire on 14 March 1879. His father was Hermann
Einstein, a salesman and engineer. His mother was Pauline Einstein. In 1880,
the family moved to Munich, where his father and his uncle founded
Elektrotechnische Fabrik J. Einstein & Cie, a company that manufactured
electrical equipment based on direct current.
Albert attended a Catholic elementary school
from the age of five for three years. At the age of eight, he was transferred
to the Luitpold Gymnasium (now known as the Albert Einstein Gymnasium) where he
received advanced primary and secondary school education until he left Germany
seven years later.
In 1894, his father's company failed. In search
of business, the Einstein family moved to Italy, first to Milan and then, a few
months later, to Pavia. When the family moved to Pavia, Einstein stayed in
Munich to finish his studies at the Luitpold Gymnasium. His father intended for
him to pursue electrical engineering, but Einstein clashed with authorities and
resented the school's regimen and teaching method.
At the end of December 1894, he travelled to
Italy to join his family in Pavia, convincing the school to let him go by using
a doctor's note. This biography describes Einstein’s struggles at Luitpold
Gymnasium, his clash with teachers and his stay as a paying guest, his noisy
landlady, his securing a doctor’s certificate that suggested a change of
school.
Characters
1. Albert
Einstein –
a student
2. Mr.
Braun –
a History teacher at Albert’s school
3. Yuri – a friend of Albert in
Munich
4. Mr.
Koch –
a Mathematics teacher at Albert’s school
5.
Landlady –
a woman who rented a room in her house to Albert
6. Head
Teacher –
head master of the school
7. Dr.
Ernst Weil
– a doctor who specialize in nerves
8. Elsa – Albert’s cousin
Summary
Einstein was studying in a German school in
Munich. His History teacher Mr. Braun asked him in which year Napoleon was
defeated at Waterloo by the Prussians. The boy confessed bluntly that he didn't
know the year, and he must have forgotten. The teacher wanted to know if
Einstein ever tried to learn. Einstein again said with usual honesty that he
did not see any point in learning dates. He argued that one can always look up
the dates in a book. There was no sense in learning facts which was not the aim
of education. The teacher then asked the boy to tell the class his theory of
education.
Albert Einstein told the class that in his
opinion it was more important to know the ideas than to learn dates or facts.
He would rather like to know why the soldiers tried to kill one another. The
teacher shouted that Einstein was a disgrace to the school, and he had better
ask his father to take him away.
Albert felt very miserable. It was a bad day.
He didn't feel like going back to that hateful school the following morning.
But his father was not likely to take him away until he (Einstein) had taken
his diploma. Being poor, he was putting up in a room in the poorest part of
Munich. He hated that place also because of slum atmosphere. His landlady beat
her children regularly, and on weekends she herself was thrashed by her drunk
husband.
Albert was lucky to have a very sincere
friend—Yuri. He discussed his problem of schooling as well as lodging with him.
He doubted if he would ever pass the exams for the school diploma. He discussed
his problem with his cousin Elsa when she came to Munich. She advised him to
take heart and just repeat what he learnt, in the examination. But his problem
was that he was not good at learning things by heart. She enquired which book
he was carrying under his arm. It was a book on Geology, and not a textbook at
all. He studied it because he liked the subject. His second interest was music.
He played upon his violin regularly until his landlady asked him to stop that
noise. She had already enough of howling by the kids.
Albert told Yuri after six months that he must
get away from there. It was absurd that he should waste his father's money. He
wished to go to Milan, Italy. He requested Yuri to get him a doctor's
certificate that he had a nervous breakdown and he must leave the city. Yuri
contacted his friend Dr. Ernst Weil, though not a specialist in nervous
disorders. He asked Albert to be honest about his intention on meeting the
doctor. The doctor agreed to certify that Albert had a nervous breakdown, and
he must stay away from school for six months. The doctor didn't charge any fee
for his service. Six months was a pretty long period. Albert won't be leaving
the school, and need be, he could come back to do his diploma.
Albert planned to take that medical certificate
to the head teacher the next day. But Yuri advised him to get a reference in
writing from his Mathematics teacher, Mr. Koch, first. Mr. Koch agreed with
Albert that the latter was wasting his time in that class in Munich because he
knew much more than even his teacher. He gave a certificate that Albert was
ready to join some college for the study of higher Mathematics.
The head teacher sent for Albert and told him
that he wanted the boy to leave the school at once. It was a sort of expulsion.
The other way was that Albert should go of his own accord. The head teacher's
point was that Albert refused to learn, and he was in constant rebellion. Albert
declared that he was going to leave even otherwise. He walked out of the office
and the school where he had spent five miserable years. Yuri saw him off with
good wishes and good luck. He hoped that Albert would be happier in Milan.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why
was Einstein unhappy at school?
Ans. Einstein was a misfit
at school and was unable to cope with the conventional system of education. As
a student at Munich, he was different from other boys of his age. He hated the
oppressive atmosphere of the school and was sure he would fail in the examinations.
Q2. Why
was Mr. Braun speechless?
Ans. Mr. Braun was
speechless because he asked Einstein in what year the Prussians defeated the
French at Waterloo. Albert could not reply, when he (Braun) demanded the reason
responsible for this he admitted that he did not learn the answer. Later he
said that he could not see any point in learning dates which could be read in a
book as well. This made Mr. Braun speechless.
Q3. What
made Einstein's life miserable in the slum where he lived?
Ans. Albert Einstein lived
in a slum where his landlady made his life a hell. She most often beat her
children and then occasionally she was beaten by her husband. She was so rude
with Einstein that she didn't allow him to play his violin for a relief from
all this stress. Apart from this, he was constantly sad for the thought of
having to go back to the school where he had not a friend.
Q4. What
was Einstein's theory about education?
Ans. Einstein believed that
the then existing education method was incapable of meeting the purpose of
education. He believed that learning facts and dates was not education. He was
against learning facts and dates by heart. He was really disappointed that
there was no effort of the teachers to make the students think and analyze the
subject in his school.
Q5. How
did the history teacher insult Einstein?
Ans. Mr. Braun, the history
teacher remarked that Einstein was an ungrateful boy and that his output to be
ashamed of himself. He should ask his father to take him away. He punished him
by making him stay in for an extra period in the school that day.
Q6. Who
was Yuri?
Ans. Yuri was the only
friend Albert had in Munich. Yuri had great concern for Albert. It was Yuri who
understood Albert's helplessness in the school and his desire to go to Milan to
join his family. Yuri was greatly helpful for Albert, especially in getting a
medical certificate.
Q7. Why
did Einstein not like the place where he lived?
Ans. Einstein lived in a
rented room in one of the poorest quarters of Munich. He did not like the place
because of the atmosphere of slum violence. His landlady beat her children
regularly. Every Saturday her husband came drunk and beat her.
Q8. What
was the problem faced by Einstein in passing the exams?
Ans. For passing the exams
one didn't have to know anything or understand what one was taught. One could
easily pass the exams if one was able to repeat in the exams what one was
taught. The problem with Einstein was that he was not good at learning things
by heart.
Q9. What
advice did Elsa give to Einstein to pass the examination?
Ans. Elsa is Einstein's
cousin who lived in Berlin where his father had a business. She thinks that
just repetition of the lesson taught in the class during the examination is
enough to pass the examination. No understanding is essential. Just learning
something by heart may do the trick.
Q10. Why
couldn't Einstein think of going to Milan without a serious reason?
Ans. Einstein's father was
a struggling businessman in Milan. He had asked his son to return to Milan
after completing his studies in Munich and was very stubborn about that. To go
to Milan, therefore, Einstein needed a very strong reason to leave his school
in Munich.
Q11. How
did Albert feel at his lodging?
Ans. Albert was not at all
happy in his lodging situated in the poor slum area. His room was in the
poorest quarters of Munich. Even the atmosphere was quite miserable as the
landlady used to beat her children. Her husband too returned on Saturday quite
drank and beat her mercilessly. The atmosphere was full of noise and
insanitary.
Q12. What
for did Einstein require a medical certificate?
Ans. Einstein enquired his
friend Yuri about a friendly doctor, who would certify him falsely for a
nervous breakdown as he longed to escape from the school. Einstein hated the
school at Munich and longed to escape. But he knew that if he left his studies
and went to Italy to join his family, his father would get angry and send him
back. One day he gets an idea. He decides to play a small drama. He would
pretend that he has had a nervous breakdown. He would say that he has been
advised by the doctor to discontinue studies. He asks his friend, Yuri, if he
knows a kind and sympathetic doctor.
Q13. Why
did the head teacher call for Albert?
Ans. Einstein got a false
medical certificate and was about to go to the head teacher’s office to submit
it. To his surprise, however, the headmaster himself sent for him and informed
that the school had decided to rusticate him for his hostile presence in the
school. The head teacher explained that all the teachers were troubled with his
rebellious attitude and did not want him in the school any longer. He then
suggested the simplest way out for Einstein to leave the school on his own.
Q14. Who
was Mr. Koch? How did he help Einstein?
Ans. Mr. Koch was
Einstein’s mathematics teacher. He was a great man, probably who was not
jealous of Einstein’s knowledge. He admired Einstein’s knowledge and thought
probably Albert would soon be able to teach him. Apart from this, Mr. Koch gave
him a certificate that helped Einstein secure a seat in a university.
Q15.
“Albert felt the medical certificate almost burning a hole in his pocket”. What
does the author mean?
Ans. The author means to
say that Einstein has worked so hard to get the certificate from
the doctor, and then he was willing to show the
certificate to the headmaster and see how he would react. However, the
certificate had then become unnecessary as he was being expelled without its
production.
Q16. Did
Einstein succeed in leaving school? How?
Ans. Yes, finally Einstein
got rid of his school. With the help of his friend, Yuri, Einstein found a
doctor who was kind and understanding. The doctor gave a certificate stating
that Einstein needed rest for six months because he was under extreme
stress. In a dramatic turn, Einstein was called to the head teacher's room and
was told that the school had decided to expel him from the school.
Q17.
Express your views on the prevailing system of education.
Ans. Education is in fact a
process which brings out the best from within. But it's an irony that the
present system of education kills originality. It prompts a child to be more
commercial and self centred. It encourages him to compete more and more without
letting the original personality blossom the present system of education
cultivates one sided personality. It stifles creativity and originality.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q. What
made Einstein unhappy at school?
Ans. This lesson describes Einstein’s
suffering at school in a moving way. It shows how a creative genius like
Einstein was ridiculed by his teachers and expelled from school for daring to
be different.
Einstein was a misfit at school and unable to
cope with the conventional system of education. As a student at Munich, he was
different from other boys of his age. He hated the oppressive atmosphere of the
school and was sure he would fail in the examinations. He liked to study only
the subjects which interested him. He believed that there was no point in
memorizing facts. Thus, on being asked when the battle of waterloo took place.
Einstein replied frankly that he had forgotten the date. Moreover, he added, he
did not see why one should learn dates as they could easily be looked up in a
book. Einstein’s honesty is mistaken for arrogance. He is punished and told
that he is disgrace to the school. Einstein thus, felt miserable at school and
longed to escape.
Q2. Did
Einstein succeed in leaving school? How?
Ans. Einstein hated the
school at Munich and longed to escape. One day he gets an idea and discusses it
with his friend, Yuri. He decides to play a small drama. He would pretend that
he has had a nervous breakdown. He would say that he has been advised by the
doctor to discontinue studies. With the help of his friend, Einstein is able to
find a doctor who is kind and understanding. The doctor gives a certificate
stating that Einstein needs rest for six months. But even before Einstein can
submit the certificate, he is called by head Teacher. The head teacher tells
Einstein that all the teachers are troubled with his rebellious attitude and
want him to leave the school. Einstein realizes that there is now no need to
show the medical certificate. He cheerfully walks out of the school which has
been his prison for the last five years.
Q3. What
were Einstein’s views regarding rote learning? Why is mere rote learning
useless?
Ans. As a student at
Munich, Einstein was different from the other boys of his age. He was unable to
cope with conventional system of education which lays a lot of emphasis on rote
learning. Einstein believed that the then existing education method was incapable
of meeting the purpose of education. He believed that learning facts and dates
was not education. He was against learning facts and dates by
heart. Facts, he felt, could easily be looked up in books. Thus, on being
asked when the Battle of Waterloo takes place, Einstein replied frankly that he
had forgotten the date. He added that it would be more interesting to find out
why soldiers had killed one another, rather than to memorize the number of
soldiers killed in the battle. He was really disappointed that there was no effort
of the teachers to make the students think and analyze the subject in his
school.
Q4. Do
you think that the teacher’s role should be primarily to make students think?
Ans. In the Conventional
System of Education the aim of the student is to get a degree and take up a
job. The task of the teacher, in such a system, is mostly to impart fact-based
knowledge and help the student to do well in the examination. For this purpose
the teacher may dictate notes, mark important questions and repeatedly “drill”
students. Such a system crushes the creative genius like Einstein.
But in Reality, the role of a teacher is not to
teach facts but to impart skills which can make the student think. It would not
be an exaggeration to say that the teacher shows the student how to think and
not what to think. The true teacher encourages the individual to be inquisitive
and to analyze the various facts and implications of an issue. The aim of
education therefore, is to produce learning individuals, not necessarily
learned ones, in an environment of freedom and creativity. Otherwise, the very
purpose of education would be lost.
Q5.
Today's school system curbs personal talents and ignores the genius in
students, imposing a teacher-school centered approach upon the students.
Discuss.
Ans. Einstein studied in a
school in Munich, where he was unhappy with the teaching. He was particularly
averse to the idea of learning facts by heart. When his history teacher asked
him when the battle of war was fought, Einstein was unable to give the answer.
The history teacher scolded him for this and said he should know the answer as
it had been mentioned many times in the class. Einstein replied that he did not
believe in memorizing facts. He was more interested in answering the ‘why’
questions rather than ‘how’ and ‘when ‘questions.