The School for Symapathy Summary

The School for Sympathy" by E.V. Lucas 

Summary

“The School for Sympathy” is a story about a very special school run by Miss Beam. The aim of this school is not only to teach subjects like spelling, writing, and arithmetic, but more importantly to teach kindness, sympathy, and responsibility.

When the narrator visits the school, he sees some children who look disabled. For example, one girl has a bandage over her eyes and is being guided by a boy, while another girl uses a crutch. The narrator is surprised.

Miss Beam explains the school’s unique teaching method. Each child has to spend one day pretending to have a disability. For example, they may spend a day as blind, lame, deaf, or dumb. This helps them understand how difficult life is for people with such problems. The children also learn to help and take care of each other.

The narrator talks with a girl on her “blind day.” She shares how hard it is to live without sight and how scary it feels, but she follows the rules honestly. She says that blindness is the most difficult experience compared to other disabilities.

This exercise benefits everyone. The children who act as disabled learn what real suffering feels like, and those who help them learn patience and kindness. The narrator himself feels more thoughtful and compassionate after seeing this system.

Theme:

The story highlights empathy, humanity, equality, and thoughtfulness. It shows that by experiencing others’ difficulties, people can become more caring and responsible members of society.