Description

There’s a scene in the film adaptation of Muriel Spark’s classic, The
nPrime of Miss Jean Brodie, during which Head Mistress McKay calls Miss
nBrodie to her office to chastise Miss Brodie for her somewhat unorthodox
nteaching methods.1 Head Mistress McKay comments on the precocity of
nMiss Brodie’s students. Miss Brodie accepts this as a compliment, not a
ncriticism and says:
n“To me education is a leading out. The word education comes from
n
nthe root ‘ex,’ meaning ‘out,’ and ‘duco,’ ‘I lead.’ To me education is sim-
nply a leading out of what is already there.”
n
nTo this head mistress McKay responds rather haughtily, saying, “I had
nhoped there might also be a certain amount of putting in.”
n
nMiss Brodie laughs at this notion and replies, “That would not be ed-
nucation, but intrusion.”