Hector does not seem to care much for A-levels and describes them to the boys as “those longed for emblems of your conformity”. By saying this Hector tells the boys that achieving good A-levels does not make them individual and does not make them stand out from the crowd. Hector is always pushing the boys to think for themselves and be open-minded. We are told “he does not care much” for the term “mind-set”, this is because he does not agree with the mind being set on anything and instead it should be open to new ideas. Hector correctly tells Mrs. Lintott that she “gives them an education” and that he “gives them the wherewithal to resist it” by constantly making the boys think outside the box.
His teaching methods are peppered with a vast array of quotations from history and literature, so much that the boys themselves don’t realize when they incorporate quotes into their everyday lives “You were quoting somebody. Auden.’ ‘Was I sir? Sometimes it just flows out, brims over.’” By using the metaphor of quotations brimming over the audience realise just how much the students know thanks to Hector. They are no longer able to keep the knowledge in their heads and so it spills out of their minds when they speak. This is the effect of education that Hector was probably aiming for and the logic behind Hector’s actions can be summed up with a quote by A.E. Housman ‘”all knowledge is precious whether or not is serves the slightest human use”’. This philosophy is the basis of Hector’s teaching and possibly even his life.
Another curious character to study is Irwin and his view on education. Similarly to Hector Irwin pushes the boys to “flee the crowd” and say more than just the status quo answer. Although unlike Hector, Irwin teaches this with a different aim in mind, getting the boys into Oxbridge. Irwin takes what can be seen as nonsense and turns it into a fully correct historical point “he would one day demonstrate on television that those genuinely caught napping by the attack on Pearl Harbour were the Japanese and that the real culprit was President Roosevelt” Through thoughts such as these Irwin teaches the boys that you do not have to say exactly what you have been taught and how you have been taught it. He is notorious for “ settling on some hitherto unquestioned historical assumption and then proving the opposite.” Irwin doesn’t care about history that is correct but instead history that is entertaining, “history nowadays is not a matter of conviction. It’s a performance. It’s entertainment. And if it isn’t make it so”. Irwin genuinely believes that “the wrong end of the stick is the right one” and that truth has nothing to do with answering a question. “ ‘ But it’s all true.’ ‘What has truth got to do with it? What has truth got to do with anything?’” Irwin generally attempts to teach enrichment in a functionalist way “ a question has a front door and a back. Go round the back or better still the side.” This approach to teaching makes Irwin a very interesting character to study in the History Boys as he manages to contradict every basic Historical fact he is faced with, be it Stalin or Henry the VIII.
Just like the teachers the students themselves have their own personal ways around education. A particular student that stands out when looking at education in the History Boys is Rudge who is mocked at by the Headmaster for being “determined to try out for Oxford and Christ Church of all places”, the Headmaster clearly believes that Rudge is not bright enough to achieve this aspiration and says that he has “no hope”. Rudge himself is a very realistic and down to earth character that is aware that he is not the brightest in the class and always makes an effort to work harder than everyone else in order to match their standard. He is often ‘left in the classroom working’ while ‘everyone leaves’. Rudge is very much a student who appreciates a functionalist way of education, one that has been granted to him by Mrs. Lintott. He tells her that Irwin’s teaching “makes [him] appreciate [her] lessons”. He also tells Mrs. Lintott that she “has force-fed [them] the facts”, and although this might sound harsh Rudge means it in the best way but, not being particularly bright, doesn’t realise that that phrase might be offensive. Because his mind works best with simple facts that are given through a functionalist program, he often struggles with the complications of a class discussion on a topic and has difficulties grasping the bare facts “So what’s the verdict then sir? What do I write down?”. Rudge always seems to be in a search for the perfect formula for answering a question and writing an essay, and so is very pleased with himself when he realises what Irwin is trying to get them to do “I get it. It’s an angle. You want us to find an angle.”.
A further character that has his own approach to education is Scripps. He stands out from the group for being very religious and this in itself gives him a different way of looking at things. “I did believe in god. No one else does.” This pleases Hector as it means that Scripps does not follow the crowd. Scripps in general does not seem to be lenient towards any type of education and so finds it easy to get the most out of both Hector’s and Irwin’s lessons. This gives him an edge in achieving a place in Oxbridge and although he is not the smartest in the class, like Dakin, he also has no trouble getting through the exams, like Rudge. Scripps tends to question everything he is told and does not accept things just as they are told to him, this side of his character is very appealing to both Hector and Irwin. Even though he is very religious he questions religion itself “they recon you have to love God because God loves you. Why?”. Through this continuous questioning Scripps is developed into a very intellectual character that will not accept things as the truth unless he is proved it to himself to be the truth.
Overall all the characters in Alan Bennett’s play the History Boys have a different approach towards education. Some, such as Rudge and Mrs. Lintott, prefer functionalism while others, like Hector are more lenient towards enrichment although many characters are a mix of both, a primary example being Irwin. Through presenting the characters with different views towards education Alan Bennett manages to make the audience question the educational system and their own views towards education.
