Most of their virtues are their own.
Shall we blame the Training Colleges because, with an unhappy past behind them, they have yet many things to unlearn?
Shall we blame the local Education Authorities because, with an unknown future before them, they have yet many things to learn?
No, I repeat, we will blame none of these.

We will lay the blame on broader shoulders.

We will blame our materialistic philosophy of life, which we complacently regard--orthodox and heretics alike--as "_The_ truth"; and we will blame our materialised civilisation, which we complacently regard--cultured and uncultured alike--as civilisation, pure and simple, whatever lies beyond its confines being lightly dismissed as "barbarism." These are the forces against which every teacher, every manager, every inspector, who strives for emancipation and enlightenment, has to fight unceasingly.

If the fight is an unequal one; if there are many would-be reformers who have shrunk from it; if there are others who retired from it early in the day; if there are others, again, who have been crushed in it;--we will blame the forces of darkness for these disasters; we will not blame their victims.

On the contrary, we will honour all who have fought and fallen; for when the cause is large and worthy of devotion, failure in the service of it is only less triumphant than success.