Answer: Regarding the debate between substantive education and formal education, Stilwell believes that the two are complementary and cannot completely separate formal education from substantive education. On the one hand, students must rely on learning ability to master knowledge; On the other hand, students' intellectual development is inseparable from teaching materials, which are the blood of students' intellectual development. Only by using appropriate teaching materials can the human soul generate strength. All classroom teaching is based on textbooks, and students must be familiar with and learn textbooks. Therefore, pure formal education is impossible. Formal education can only be formed in substantive education, and substantive education can only be produced in formal education.

The interdependence between formal education and substantive education does not mean that there is no distinction between them. In contrast, formal purpose should be the first and final purpose in teaching.