The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-28 00:00:00

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Resolutions it connection with this important
question were introduced by the representatives of
Leeds, Nottingham, Huddersfield, and Kendal. In
effect they urged on the Government the importance
and desirability of technical education in arts,
manufactures, and science ; to this education they
attributed the rapid progress and high excellence of
continental manufactures; and in order to enable
English manufacturers to maintain the pre-emi-
nence they had so long enjoyed they requested the
Government to appoint a commission or adopt other
means for the purpose of obtaining the fullest infor-
mation with reference to the schools for technical
education on the Continent, with a view of estab-
lishing similar institutions in England.
Mr. MUNDELLA (Nottingham) said that at pre-
sent they had competitors on the Continent in art,
science, and manufacture such as they had never
dreamed of, and from what he had seen in the
workshops of France and Germany they were about
to have a much more formidable competition, which
rendered it necessary that steps should at once be
taken to educate the working classes of this coun-
try. They were resting. They were resting on
their old prestige, and that prestige was rapidly ex-
pending itself, and unless they began to stir them-
selves they would soon find England falling in the
manufacturing scale behind the other nations. The
schools of design were the best steps which had been
taken during the last 50 years. They had in their
workmen the best material in the world, and if
these men were properly educated a great load of
vice, drunkenness, and pauperism, which now
weighed down the country, would be removed.
Mr. WHITIVELL (Kendal) trusted the conference
would come to a unanimous resolution to approach
the Government, and call upon it to adopt wine
means by which the yearly increasing want of tech-
nical education might be supplied.
Mr. MAXWELL BLEWS (Birmingham) drew at-
tention to the marvellous progress which had been
made in industrial pursuits in Germany since the
Exhibition of 1851. He attributed the backward-
ness of this country in that respect to the disgraceful
state of primary education, and to the absence of
governmental channels, such as those possessed by
continental countries, for the development of educa-
tion. He trusted that instant action would be
taken by the chambers and by the Government
to bring about such measures as would result in the
practical application of their wishes.

Air. BAINES, M.P., expressed his satisfaction at
the intention of the conference to bring the import-
ant question of technical education under the notice
of the Council on Education, and state their views
concerning it. He promised to back their efforts
to the best of his ability.
Mr. \V. E. FORSTER, M.P., followed in the con-
gratulatory strain adopted by Mr. Baines. He was
very hopeful as to the results of the visits made by
representatives of some of the Government depart-
ments to technical schools on the Continent. He
trusted that full and accurate information with re-
gard to the working of these schools would be sup-
plied before the meeting of Parliament in spring, so
that the necessary material for a discussion on this
all-absorbing topic might be at hand.
Mr. DIXON, M.P., in the course of some remarks,
dwelt upon the necessity of local action in respect
to the question occupying attention.
After some further discussion the following reso-
lution, moved byMr. MUNDELLA, was carried unani-
mously :—" That the rapid progress and high ex-
cellence of continental manufactures are, in the
opinion of this association, mainly attributable to
the schools for technical education which have for
rainy years past been established in Germany and
other parts of the Continent, and by means of which
the art of design and other valuable scientific know-
ledge have been very gradually acquired, to the
great advantage of industrial pursuits ; and that, in
order to enable our manufacturers to maintain the
position they have so long enjoyed, the necessity of
establishing in this country institutions of a similar
character be urged upon the Government, and for
this purpose a committee be appointed by the asso-
ciated chambers to assist in the promotion of art and
industrial education."