Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-08
MANUAL TRAINING IN SCHOOLS.
what st. Louis Educator Learned in
Europe.

NAANOAA IRA MING IN SCHOOLS.
what st. Louis Educator Learned in
Europe.
Fran, the ST. LouiS Gibbs Demoorat Saps 2
Mr.. c. NJ. Woodward, Dean of the Poly
technic school Of the Washington Uni5er-
slty and Director Of the Manual Training
School, returned yesterday from Europe.
where he has been for uve months study
ing the educational institutions. His OBJ
Ject was to secure as much information
regarding the conduct Of industrial and
polytechnic schools as possible in the
limited time he could devote to the work,
and ne is we'll satisfied in having obtain
ed a mass OF information which. he says.
S'will enable me to avoid errors, rather
than supply me with new suggestions"
Il went to Manchester" he told a
Globe Dsmocr0f reporter, ito deliver
lecture 10 the people interested In educa-
ton on the methods Of manual training.
On NV return 20 Manchester, after visit
10 Glasgow. thew gave me an ovation
which was very pleasurable. The people
readily took hold OF the idea Of manual
training and while was on the continent
founded q school which is modelled on the
ST. Louis institution, and will begin in
the present month. They have issued a
circular which is almost cut from our cat
al0gue. / think they will be success
ful. as those who are in charge are enthu-
siastic.n
Are there any manual training schools
in EUgiand?'
There have been heretofore only two;
the larger, called Finnsbury college, Is in
London, and was founded by Philip Mag
nus, Director Of the Central Institution
OF the city and guilds OF London. The
other is at Sheffield, and is so inferior l
was not allowed TO see 10. The Finnsbury
is modelled after our school, but is not
nearly so well appointed or supplied, hav-
ing less machinery and energy. In Glas-
gov / found a small school, inferior to
the Finnsbury institution, but under the
direction of an enthusiastic man, Mr..
Dixon, who, II he had money, would make
a very good school out Of it.. He is ham
pered by that want
THE manual training idea Is only a
few years old in England and Scotland.
II has penetrated tn re with the thousand
and one other American ideas, but needs
to be developed and fostered. The Eng
lish, by the waY, are assimilating very
much that is American. They will not
acknowledge II. but the traces of the ma
MIA can be seen everywhere. The plan OF
our manual schools is more adapted to
them than to the people on the continent
on account Of the broadening that results
from the assimilation. In the continental
countries a boy is trained up in the trade
OF his father, and his chances ofliyelihood
are being gradually narrowed down. In
England this is becoming less the custom,
and boy is more frequently allowed TO
choose that occupation that will best suit
his ability and tastes.
Il found in France schools for making
mechanics that, as far as they 60, are SUI
nab MA fa . = 4
work IN America. They take "A youth
and teach him trade, say Jonery, block
work, pattern making, etc, but paJ no
attention to his intellectual culture. The
boy binds himself to be a mechanic all
the days Of his life. OF course he is edu-
Gated to be more skilled and capable than
the unschooled mechanic; generally be-
comes foreman; but when he enters
upon the study of trade he lays down
the lines OF bis life and walks inside them
atterward. There are three large govern
ment schools at Chalons, AK la Cha
pelle, and the third In the south of France.
They are admirably equipped to make
what we would call low grade Of me-
chanical engineers. In Paris the Board
OF Education has introduced in all the
elementary schools a kind of manual
training. the scholars doing woodwork
and some irOnwork. This has been going
on for several years, and is still an ex-
pertinent The feeling there is narrower
than in our schools, and, although it IS an
extension Of the kindergarten. is not as
valuable an aid TO education as it would
be If a broader feeling prevailed among
the teachers.
mechanics are necessary" Mr. Wood
ward added, land IL is a good thing to
make intelligent mechanics; but no
American youth would submit to any
such system. Our plan here has been
not 20 make manual training the all aud
everything, but 10 combine it with the
intellectual cultivation Of the boy simply
as an adjunct. Having learned what we
teach. the boy is not bound to remain In
one trade, hut has been so furnished that
he VIII know TO what his talents adapt
him. anu so can make choice of congo
NAL employment. Having been educated
20 Intelligence he will readily grasp any
thing be sets out TO learn. The French
training allows them no such liberty, and
while making them proficient does so at
the expense of the boys intelligence. In
Germany there are no manual schools.
The theoretical part Of science Is mag
ni1cently taught, but most OF their engi-
gineers are mere draughtsmen. There Is
one polytechnic school At Zurich with ex-
ctIlent methods, bat no manual training
school. / went 70 see the training school
~ kom0tau. Bohemia, about which there
have been many contradictory accounts.
] found something more excellent than |
had anticipated but n clearly-defined
plan for making mechanics. The school
is broader than the French institutions,
but yet is lacking in the fact that il does
not aim nearly high enough. 1t is about
five years old, and has been so successful
that SIX or eight other schools are 10 be
established IN Bohemia on the same plan.
] visited other educational institutions in
Switzerland and in the Netherlands,
but they were not manual training insti-
tutions.''
A DISSERTATION ON CORNs.