The Portland daily press., 1874-10-31
Education of Labor.

EuucaClOn Oh LABOR
The education of labor which is based on
applied art and science, and has such direct
bearing on all the industries, has at last be-
gun to receive, in this country, some of the
enlightened attention which it so eminently
merits. 1t is no longer to be the possession
OF only the fortunate few, who may be able
to attend the art and technical schools OF
Europe, or the half dozen schools of this
country which have hitherto given limited
course of similar instruction. This education
is to be popularized, so that all may obtain
share; for starting here, as in Europe, in the
primary school, it will not stop short of tie
broadest work in the highest schools of art
and science. Between the lowest and the
highest schools will be various intermediate
schools and other educational appliances.
As yet Massachusetts is the only state
whose official authorities and private citizens
have both taken hold of this matter in liber-
al, energetic spirit, and with an intelligent,
comprehensive purpose. Only a beginning
has been made; but a brief account of what
that is may not be without profit We will
not follow the order of events in Massachus-
etts, but rather the order in which the educa-
tion of which we are speaking should unfold.
In industrial education for the great body
of the people, art must always hold the most
conspicuous place. For eighteen years, draw
ing had been taught in the public schools of
Boston. At the end of that period the school
committee reported that the results were al
Thar $50 colu
radical change and forward movement, en-
couraged therein by leading citizens of Bos-
ton. Finding no one in this country quail
fed to conduct the proposed advance, they,
10 conjunction with the state board Of educa-
ton, applied, something more than three
years ago, to the science and art department
of the English government, asking if they
had any one in England, where the art edu-
cation of the people had been promoted by
such munificent governmental aid for twenty
five years, whom they could recommend to
take general charge of art education in Massa-
chussetts, and special charge in Boston.
''The gentlemen at the head of the Leeds art
school, the second in importance in the king
dom, is the man for you, if you can get him."
was the reply. This gentleman came to
Boston, conferred with the state and city
school authorities, presented a general plan OF
operations, which, being approved, the gentle.
man was engaged to superintend the carrying
out of the plan. From this moment dates
the systematic art education of all the people
of Massachusetts,.
The law requires that drawing shall be
taught in all the public day-schools of the
state, while every city having ten thousand
inhabitants is also required to sustain through
the autumn and winter one or more public
evening schools, in which drawing alone shall
be taught to all persons more, than fifteen years
old who may choose to avail themselves of the
instruction.
Drawing is also made one of the regular
studies of the state normal schools. But in
order to provide special art teachers for the
evening drawing schools and for the high
schools, state normal art school, with
three years course, was opened last year at
Pemberton square, Boston. The accomoda-
tions were for one hundred students, but the
applicants greatly exceeded that number.
This year much larger number is attending
the school, and it is thought tn ere would be
four or five hundred if the Accommodations
were sufficient. The gentleman of whom
we have spoken, has the general direction Of
this school; he is assisted by an able corps of
professors. The instruction is free to all
persons in the state.
This state normal art school is the practi-
cal beginning of what is to eliminate in the
Museum of Fine Arts, the foundation of
whose edifice has already been laid on the
Back Bay land. For the establishment of
this great school of industrial and fine art ed
ucation, which is to emulate the distinguished
school at South Kensington, England,
leading citizens of Massachusetts,, manufac-
turers, merchants, etc., have already con-
tribu.ed million and a half of dollars, which
amount is to be increased to three million ms.
So much for the foundation. To give even a
general idea, which should be ineligible, of
what is to be done in this great school for the
development of the industrial and fine arts
would take at least two columns of our paper.
1t is to crown the public art education of the
state which begins in the primary school.
The law relating to the public evening
drawing schools has been in operation four
years. Only ina few places are the results
yet satisfactory, except it be in the matter of
attendance. Without suitable teachers, and
without knowing just what to do and how to
go about it, the commencement was sur
rounded by many difficulties But the vari
Gus difficulties are now well understood, and
in various cities have been overcome. Many
Of the schools can now be said to be well
established. We have before us the circular
issued by the school officers of Worcester
and distributed among the artisans of that
city, notifying them of the time when the
schools would open, and giving them an out
line of the proposed course of instruction
during the fall and winter. We quote:
"The attention of our citizens, especially of
our artisans and manufacturers, is called once
more to the Evening Drawing Schools
which have now been in successful operation
four winters. Each year has increased the
efficiency and enlarged the scope of these
classes, besides proving plainly their practi-
cal bearing upon the industrial interests of
Cur city.
"Should the number of applicants warrant
new efforts during the coming winter, the
committee hope to extend still further the
course OF instruction already given aid afford
still more thorough training to those who
avail themselves of the privileges which the
city offers.
The following classes, open to both sexes,
are proposed. Each class will be formed, in
case twenty applicants appear:
CLASS No. l. Advanced free baud drawing for
those who have had previous instruction.
CLASS No. 2. course in free hand drawing for
beginners.
CLASS No. 8. course in instrumental drawing
for beginners.
CLASS No. 4. second years course in instru-
mental drawing, for machinists and iron workers.
CLASS No. 5. A second years course of instru
mental drawing, for carpenters and wood workers
CLASS No. g. A third years course in advanced
instrumental drawing.
The above affords good idea of what they