When the school closed in 1826, Pestalozzi, then a man of eighty, retired to his farm. His remaining time involved him in invective disputes with some of his former teachers. He died February 17, 1827. Education is the unfolding of the natural powers and faculties latent in every human being. The purpose of education is both social and individual.
Education provides the means for the social regeneration of humanity.
As the moral, social, emotional and intellectual development of each individual unfolds through education, society is also improved by these individuals who achieve their full potential. The teacher must never teach by words when a child can see, hear or touch an object for himself. Nature can teach the child better than man can. The child is expected to be continually active in seeing for himself, making and correcting mistakes, describing his observations, analyzing objects and satisfying his natural curiosity. The child must observe, learn to express his impressions of concrete objects perceived by the senses and must learn to formulate new generalizations for himself.