In On Education, Spencer sharply criticized the fashion of "ostentation is more important than practicality" in British upper class, and pointed out that the situation of "flashy" and "putting the cart before the horse" in school education is still very serious. He said: "The teacher decoration we are pursuing is before practicality. Not only in the past, but also in our modern times: the knowledge praised is always in the first place, while the knowledge that promotes personal welfare is in the second place. ..... If you ask what is the real motivation of classical education for boys? That's just listening to public opinion. Just like decorating a child's body, people decorate a child's heart with fashion. "