ABSTRACT
While there are clear indications that schooling helps mental development in general, and that — on the whole — the more the better, it is much more difficult to prove that any particular type of schooling is more favourable than another. Most educators have strong beliefs, e.g. that a liberal education does more to develop the mind than say a technical one; and psychologists such as Susan Isaacs, Bruner and Cronbach clearly advocate approaches to teaching which will promote transfer, stimulate curiosity and active problem-solving rather than the implanting of information or drilling of specific skills. But in fact there is extremely little experimental evidence that the study of some subjects is preferable to others, or that some methods are mentally stimulating, others not.
