TECHNICAL EDUCATION.* THE approaching industrial decline of England has lately
been signalised by Mr. Greg, in his self-chosen part of Cassandra, as a great national danger,—a rock ahead in the direct course of the vessel of the State. He supports that opinion by reference to two facts,—the increase of Trades Unionism and the decrease of coal. There is a third fact, however, which Mr. Greg has doubt- less not overlooked, which appears to be quite as great an element of national danger as either of the two facts upon which he chiefly lays stress. The want of a properly organised system of technical training for the industrial population has long been recognised by educational reformers as a source of danger to national welfare.
As far back as the year 1853, the subject of industrial educa- tion was seriously started by the Council of the Society of Arts. The Committee then appointed did its work very thoroughly, and collected an immense number of opinions from merchants and manufacturers of influence testifying to the necessity of incor- porating technical instruction into the national system of educa- tion, if England was to keep abreast of her Continental neigh- bours. A few years later, the Committee of Council of Education attempted to introduce into all elementary schools receiving State-aid a system of scientific instruction for the elder children, and guaranteed grants in aid of competent science teachers and prizes for successful pupils. Later still, we have had most valuable reports from the Royal Commission on Scientific In- struction and the Advancement of Science, strongly recommend- ing the teaching of the rudiments of physical science in elementary schools, and the introduntion of similar instruction into the syllabus of subjects taught in the training colleges.
But after all, the subject has been rather discussed and reported on, than pushed practically forward. A few men, such as Dr. Lyon Playfak, and the Rev. W. Rogers, of Bisliopsgate, have persistently endeavoured to keep the matter before the public, but on the whole, the public has preferred to dose drowsily on in patriotic reliance on the rule of thumb. The movement, in fact, has lacked the strength of concerted action. It is the object of Mr. Twining, in the book before us, to show how that concerted action may best be attained, and real educational work of the required kind promoted by the establishment of a Central Technical University.
"Developed on such a scale of magnitude and efficiency, and on such principles of systematic organisation as will entitle it to take rank with the best foreign institutions of the kind, it will present to its associates (such aa- mechanics' institutes, working-men's clubs, art-schools, &c.) in the provinces and the colonies a model which, in their respective degrees, they will be proud to emulate, and an ex- ceedingly convenient central repository of progressive knowledge, maintaining a constant intercourse with each of them for the informa- tion of all, and always up to the level of the times."
At the same time, although Mr. Twining considers that such an institution should be a worthy centre for the industrial energy of the most industrial nation in the world, he would still desire it to be of such a character that "students in fustian may not be considered as intruders, nor smoke and hammering denounced as nuisances. In short, whilst instruction, illustration, and actual practice will be carried on in the most perfect style, care will be taken that in every respect the true interests of technical and commercial industry may be constantly kept in view, and the highest level of industrial knowledge and ability *rade accessible to the greatest number at the most moderate exAse." Within the range of the proposed University, there would be of course lecture-halls, class-rooms, laboratories, workshops, and an Economic Museum. Liberal scholarships and exhibitions would be established, for the purpose of attracting shrewd and practical genius. Public examinations of various grades would be held, at which trade diplomas and certificates might be granted. In connection with these examinations, Mr. Twining suggests the revival of the old distinctions, such as are still kept up in Germany, between master and journeyman.
• Technical Training; being a suggestive Sketch of a National System of Industrial Education, founded on a General Diffusion of Practical Science among the People. By Thomas Twining. London: Macmillan and Co. In all, he would have three Trade Examinations,—a minor examination, through which the young artisan, say, emerg- ing from his apprenticeship, should peas, in order to obtain a certificate of competency as journeyman ; a major examination, through which the journeyman should pass in order to gain his mastership degree, showing his fitness to set up trade for himself, and take charge as foreman of a department in a large business or factory ; and a superior examination, at which a diploma of excellence should be granted, denoting qualifications of a high order, such as those required by a director, manager, clerk of the works, or the like. Against possible objections to his scheme Mr._ Twining is most careful to guard himself. The whole tenor of his book will make it evident that the system he advocates is in- tended to assist and complete, rather than to supersede or pre- judicially to interfere with existing educational institutions. Public opinion, he is aware, is always influenced very much by the results of first operations. Permanent success, therefore, in an undertaking of this nature will depend very greatly on pru- dent beginnings. At the same time, he is not ignorant of the principle of thoughtfully planning from the beginning the scheme of future developments, if these are, in the end, to be found filling their appropriate place in a symmetrical system. With this object in view, the fifth chapter of his book is devoted to a review of the industrial range, front the stand-point, as far as possible, of the proposed University. Ire takes first a few highly scientific industries (such as the various. chemical trades, of which dyeing, tanning, and brewing are ex- amples), forming convenient types for comparison, and favouring the discussion of various difficulties to be overcome, and then passes on to industries of a simpler character, such as the various food- trades, trades of construction, and trades connected with textile- fabrics and clothing This analysis of the instructional require- ments of various trades supplies him with approximate and suggestive outlines for a systematic apportionment of studies. Summaries of the necessary studies for trade-certificates, in rela- tion to .certain typical occupations, are also in this chapter worked out with great precision and care, giving a very full and complete idea of the practical character of the proposed scheme.
The chief difficulty, no doubt, facing Mr. Twining, and in fact,. all educational reformers is a difficulty to be met with at the very outset. Special technical training is absolutely worthless, unless a solid ground-work of general scientific knowledge has first been laid. And at present this is wanting. The education of the working-man is a battle against time. The son of the artisan or labourer is seldom able to attend school beyond the age of twelve years. And those who know anything of the practical working of the capitation system under the Revised Code are well aware how difficult it is to introduce any subject beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic into elementary schools. Mr.. Twining, however, is not without hope. What has been done on the Continent may be done, he thinks, in England. In propor- tion as common-sense takes the place of prejudice, and that kind of information cornea into favour which may best help the work-- ing-Man to help himself and honestly to make his way in the world, it is to be hoped that room will be provided in the routine of our elementary schools for instruction at least in the Science of Daily Life.
In the meantime, something may be done for the diffusion of practical science among the people by class-lessons, adult night- schools, popular scientific lectures, and the like, supplemented by private reading ; and perhaps the most interesting part of the book before us lies in the modest record of Mr. Twining's own persona/ efforts in the cause of popular scientific instruction. Considerable experience of the social conditions of the working-classes abroad had led him to the conviction of the practical benefit that might accrue to all nations, "if they would adopt on principles of good- fellowship a cordial interchange of useful notions, habits, and con- trivances." This conviction led to the idea, which he afterwards carried out at his own expense at Twickenham, of forming public collections of the objects best calculated to meet the wants of the million. In his own collection the series of illustrations comprised economic architecture, household furniture, textile materials and fabrics, foods, sanitary science, and an economic library. His museum was, in fact, the first of its kind, and. appearsto have been a very complete collection, so arranged that not only might the artisan visitor see the things to be adopted or- avoided, but learn at the same time the "reason why." In con- nection with this museum, Mr. Twining also drew up a course of lectures on" Science made Easy," which have now been delivered for eight seasons, to large working audiences in various parts of London. Several of Mr. Twining's suggestions, taken from his
own experience of science-lecturing, are extremely valuable. What he terms the "Binary System" of Lecturing and the " Open- handed " examination are especially worthy of notice.
The Binary System of Lecturing consists in the joint action of a Reader and a Demonstrator. A reader cannot be expected to deliver a written or printed lecture satisfactorily, if he has to go to and fro between his text and his diagram a or his apparatus.
"On the other band, a Professor who can deliver a whole educational course in a concise and yet easy style, without further guidance than a few note; and who at the same time is a skilful experimentalist, is an expensive luxury even in London, and almost unattainable in most provincial localities. But on the contrary, there is scarcely a country town where the vicarage or the school cannot supply a good Reader for a philanthropic object, whilst the Doctor or the Chemist of the place will be sufficiently up to the performing of any amount of chemical or other experiments involved in expounding the science of daily life."
The Open-Handed System of Examination was also an .expedient devised to meet a special difficulty. The approaching delivery of the course of Lectures on the Science of Daily Life, for the third time, to an artisan audience at the Lambeth Baths, suggested the idea of examinations to test the amount of knowledge gained from the lectures. The whole plan, however, of a scientific ex- amination was so thoroughly novel to a working-class audience, that it would have been ridiculous to invite them to such an ordeal conducted on the ordinary method. A plan of operations was accordingly adopted for overcoming the diffidence of uneducated students. Before the delivery of the lectures, a Questionary was prepared in such a manner that anyone competent to answer all the questions must necessarily have in his mind the gist of the whole course. A copy of this Questionary, or Catechism, minus the answers, with the full marks for each question attached, and a copy of each of the lectures, was deposited in the lecture-hall. On the day of examination the paper of questions was selected entirely from this que,stionary, two questions, one easy and one difficult, being set on the subject of each lecture. By this means each student knew from the begin- ning what he was recommended to learn, and each candidate what questions he was likely to be asked. Of the examination at the Lambeth Baths, Mr. Twining writes :—" The candidates were in- formed that they were not expected to take up more than one ques- tion on each lecture, but such was the zeal with which they set to work, that in the three hours allowed, several of them went through nearly the whole range, and this in such a manner as perfectly to justify the sanguine expectations raised in my mind by the remarkable earnestness with which the Lambeth Baths' audi- ence, young and old, had throughout listened to my work." The same system of lectures and examinations has been tried in various parts of London, and the results have everywhere been most encouraging. We can cordially recommend this book to all who are interested in the cause of industrial education, and the diffusion of the Science of Daily Life among the people of England.
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