San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-05-11
Labor Schools In Europe.

A remarkable report has lately been
published by the University of Cam.
bridge in England on the subject of in
dustrial education. Promising that
since workingmen can not come to the
University, it is the University's duty to
60 to them, it proposes to open course
of specific training, not for the social
ed liberal professions, or for middle
men of any kind, but for the veritable
producers-in other words, for the
working class. This design is worthy
of an institution which, since the day OF
the Long Parliament, has been out
spoken in the expression of popular
sympathies and steadfast in promoting
reform. r'h.Nt-
Since the decay of the old apprentice
system, very little has been done for the
education of labor. 1t is plain that the
establishments known under the name OF
ragged schools scarcely belong to the
class of industrial seminaries. As their
title indicates, these institutions receive
the children of poor parents, or or
phans, afford them lodging and nour-
ishment, and employ them in various
trades. The extreme youth of these
children they graduate, as rule, at
the age of 15-prevents their receiving
substantial technical training. On the
other hand, considerable progress has
been made in this direction by certain
countries on the Continent, and some
examples specially worthy OF imitation
are pointed out in this report. lHl'' 81
"a Industrial schools seem to be quite
numerous in the German empire and
Austria, in Denmark, Sweden, Holland
and Belgium. They are generally
known as "apprentices' workshops"
but they combine theoretical with prac-
teal instruction, and presuppose gradu-
alton from primary schools. In Bel
GUM pupils are admitted from the age
of twelve, or even earlier, if they can
show the requisite measure of element
airy knowledge. The articles made in
the shops are sold for the account of
those who furnish the raw material, and
the latter are Unidentified for damage
occasioned by Impractical hands. A
point to be noted in the Belgian system
is the payment to the pupils of a small
stipend, by way of compensation to
straitened families dependent to some
extent on the earnings of their younger
members. ..... .... ..,
In Holland the most important techni-
cal academies for producers are those of
Amsterdam. The school for boys,
founded in 1861 by the "Society of the
Working Classes" is designed to train
workmen for those trades which are
connected with architecture and ship
building. The course of instruction
lasts three years, and includes-besides
certain studies supplementary ofprimary
acquirements-the elements of metrics,
of mechanics and natural history, the
art of drawing, the study of tools and
carpentry, masonry, the use
of the lathe and the forge. The
pupils must be at least thirteen years
of age, and have received good
education. They are re-
quired to pay an annual fee which does
not exceed, however, thirteen dollars.
There is likewise training-school for
girls in Amsterdam, whose management
has been attended with good results, be-
cause it has avoided the common error
of wasting time on lady-like accom-
plishments. Special attention is paid
to the commercial applications of the
art of design, to dressmaking, tailoring,
and lace making, and to those branches
of knowledge requisite for the prepara-
ton and vending of drugs. Girls are
at this institution at the age
of twelve and pay fee of S2l.
In Scandinavia and the German en-
pire the apprentice schools differ only in
some details of small Importance from
those above described. We merely note
that they are Government institutions,
whereas in Vienna, Prague, and
Austria the industrial acad-
emies were created by private enter
prise, although they receive subsidy
from the State. Passing to other
we find the idea of technical
for the working classes has
born but meager fruit in Switzerland,
although the system of rudimentary in
struction is singularly efficient. There
exists, it is true, what is known as an