The Times of Tuesday contains an interesting account of the
new Technical Institute which has been opened in the Transvaal. It attempts to give a thorough technical education, so as to fit young men for the mining and engineering profes- sions, which are at present the chief occupations of the country. The course lasts four years: a general course in mathematics, chemistry, geology, and other sciences for the first three years, and then a year devoted to special study in mining or one of the branches of engineering. The Institute is ulti- mately to become a branch of the new Transvaal University, when it is founded, and it is hoped that students may come from England for post-graduate study, the mining companies offering to provide small salaried positions on the mines during their stay. It is interesting to note that the nucleus of the funds for the enterprise comes from a sum of money raised on the Rand before the war for the education of British children. We are glad that the Transvaal has made technical instruction the subject of its first large educational experi- ment. In a utilitarian Colony it is wise to start with the practical, for once education in one form is approved, the way is open for a wider culture.
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