"The Fun They Had" Summary

Story Introduction

• A story set in the future showcases the education system through children's eyes.
• "The Fun They Had" contrasts traditional schools with futuristic, technology-driven learning.

Characters

• Margie is an 11-year-old who keeps a diary.
• Tommy is a 13-year-old who stumbles upon a real book.

The Discovery of a Real Book (Paper Printed Book)

• On May 17, 2157, Margie notes Tommy's discovery of a "real book" in her diary.
• "Real book" signifies a paper-printed book, akin to physical books of the present.
• Such books are relics of the past in Margie's time.
• The book is old.
• Her grandfather recounted stories of his grandfather learning from paper-written texts.
• The book’s pages are yellowed and crumpled with age.
• The static text in the book intrigues the children.

Tommy's Perspective

• Tommy views physical books as disposable after reading.
• Tommy refers to television screens that can store countless books without needing to be discarded.

Margie's Dislike for School

• Margie has a strong dislike for school, particularly due to constant geography tests from her mechanical teacher, leading to declining grades.
• Margie's mother involves the County Inspector because of her worries.

The County Inspector

• The County Inspector, a small, red-faced man, arrives with tools and wires.
• The inspector offers Margie an apple while repairing her teacher.
• Margie hopes the mechanical teacher remains irreparable.
• She desires respite from school and examinations.

The Mechanical Teacher

• The mechanical teacher is a large, black machine that delivers lessons and poses questions on a screen.
• Margie finds the homework slot particularly annoying.
• She has been inputting her homework in punch code since she was six.
• The mechanical teacher provides instant grade calculations.

Explanation of Margie's Performance

• The Inspector informs Margie's mother that the mechanical teacher's geography sector was calibrated to an advanced level, causing Margie's poor performance.
• He readjusts the level to suit a 10-year-old's understanding.

Discussion about old schools

• Margie questions the purpose of writing about school.
• Tommy explains that old schools differed from their current model.
• In the olden days, instruction was imparted by human teachers who assigned homework and asked questions.
• Tommy specifies that children attended a dedicated building for school.
• Children of the same age group learned together.

The School Day

• Margie's classroom adjoins her bedroom.
• The mechanical teacher is always on and awaiting her.
• Her study schedule remains consistent, excluding Saturdays and Sundays.
• The mechanical teacher starts with a lesson on adding proper fractions in arithmetic.
• Margie reflects on the schools of her grandfather's grandfather's time.
• Margie envisions neighborhood children going to school together, laughing and making noise.
• She pictures learning together in the same schoolroom and walking home together at the end of the day.
• She imagines them learning the same things.
• Students assisted each other with assignments and engaged in collaborative discussions.

"The Fun They Had"

• Margie's mind wanders to the happiness of children in old-fashioned schools while the mechanical teacher displays lessons on the screen.
• She longs for the memories from normal school, during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
• "The fun they had" embodies this nostalgia, lending the story its title.