Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-22
The anurnaI and Onnrier.
Thursday, October a2, 1885.
TECHNICAL EDUCATION. A i


 What is called Technical Education is in a much more advanced state in Europe than in this country Great Britain claims the credit of founding the modern industrial sys- tenn. When other countries began to con- struct railroads and erect modern mills and mechanical workshops they found them selves confronted by full grown British in dustrial organization which was almost @ sealed book to those who could not get ac- cess to British factories. To meet this state of things those countries established techni- cal schools, in many cases sending their men of science to England to prepare themselves as teachers of technology in those schools. Technical high schools now exist in nearly every continental state, and are the 1eeog- nized channel of instruction to those who are intended to become the technical direc- tors of industrial establishments.
 An English royal commission has been thoroughly examining the condition of tech nical education in Great Britain, the conti da Their second report has been made, and it contains much that is interesting and val tlable. The commissioners assign greater in huence on American manufactures to the general education of the people, derived from their common schools, than to technical education, though they recognize the train ing of civil engineers which has been expert eneed here for years, though it's value has only more recently become understood by those who are engaged in mechanical engi- neering and in metallurgical and manufac- turing establishments of various kinds. They note that decided preference is being given in the United States for the positions of managers and heads of departments to persons who have received scientific train ing in technical school, and that the plan is adopted in our schools of combining in- struetion in application" with instruction in pure science.
 As to the higher education, that for those intended to become proprietors or managers of industrial works, the commissioners would not recommend that every one should continue his theoretical studies in polytechnic school till the age of twen- ty-two or twenty-three years, and so lose the advantage of practical instruction in the workshops (which are the best technical schools in the world) during the years from IS to 19 or 21 to %, when he is best able to profit by it. For the education of capital ists ample time is available, but in the cases of small manufacturers and the practical managers of works, sound knowledge of sci- entifc principles has to be combined with the practical training of the factory, and therefore the time to be devoted to theoreti- cal instruction will generally be more limit ed. Upon the importance of elementary teaching the report says: For the great mass of our working population, who must neces- sarily begin to earn their livelihood at an early age, and from whom our foremen will be mostly selected, it is essential that instruc- tion in the rudiments of the sciences bearing upon industry should form part of the cur riculum of the elementary schools, and that instruction in drawing, and more especially in drawing with rule and compass, of char acter likely to be useful to them in their fu- ture occupations as workmen and artisans, should receive far greater attention than it does at present. s