4. THE KNOWLEDGE OF LEUVEN

Leuven is an attractive university town in central Belgium. ‘Fonske’ is a statue near the centre of the town. Its full name is Fons Sapientiae, Latin for ‘fountain of wisdom’. The statue represents a university student who, while reading a book, lets wisdom flow into his head as liquid from a glass.

For years teachers and educationalists (perhaps particularly those in the discipline of mathematics) have struggled to discover the best ways of imparting knowledge to their often reluctant and seemingly impervious students.

Now we see that the good citizens of Leuven had the solution all the time. If only it were so easy!

    

  – Paul Scott