What FM Alexander said about under-acheivement in the classroom, and the work of educational psychologists

Alexander spoke of an occasion when, at the request of the American philosopher and educationalist John Dewey, he visited a "progressive" school in America. He watched a psychologist working with several of the children. All of them exhibited what Alexander called "a poor manner of using themselves" -- i.e. a manner of using the self associated with immature primitive reflexes. Alexander asked the psychologist what it was he had done. The psychologist said he had observed the children carefully in order to make a judgement about their behaviour and their potentialities. Alexander asked, "But how can you form such judgements when their use of themselves is obviously as bad as it is? How can you determine what their capacities and potentialities are when they are not able, under the present circumstances of their poor use, to properly manifest them? You wouldn't judge the performance of your car if you knew there were certain mechanical deficiencies in the engine." Alexander's student asked him: "You mean that before judging the present and the prospective abilities of these children their poor use should be set right?" "Exactly so," Alexander replied.