dred and fiftieth anniversary of the school's inception, this may be an opportune moment for a fresh assessment of Owen's educational theory and practice. Why did Owen, a wealthy cottonmill owner, open a school for young children? Did he think that by providing a nursery he could persuade more women to become cotton operatives? Did he think that, in school, children were out of harm's way? Did he wish to protect them from falling into the water that he used to drive the ma-