The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-21


plan and objects. In this treatise he makes 70
pretense of justifying the daily hand-work d
four hours In this school as a necessary or de-
sirable means OF general development in ele
mentary education The merit he claims for IL
consists IN its practical value as an apprentice
ship to the workshop. Of the success of the
graduates in this line, NJ. Laubier the director
OF the school, says: II could cite lads of four
teen who are getting two and three francs per
day, and who have not more than six months to
serve before receiving regular workmena
wages John ID. Philbrick, long superin-
tendent OF the Boston public schools, has pub
!ished criticism of this institution which reveals
exactly the flaw that might have been expected.
He speaks of the strongest impression left by
his visit as that OF the evident inade
quacy OF most of the boys in
work. What can the average boy OF twelve do
with the jack plane. the hand lathe OF the forg-
ing hammerl Very much the same opinion
seems to obtain in France, if any significance
is to be attached to the fact that the school
which is so well known and in its way SO sue
cessful, still remains, after twelve years of ex-
istence the only one of It's kind.
Many OF the best educators in the United
States have taken the ground that the training
of boys in handicraft should be postponed till
after the first stages of education. The only
question with which they have concerned them
selves has been what Is the most practicable
thing to do in the way Of mechanical training
the common school course? It is thought by
some that the manual training school established
in connection with Washington University,
St Louis, affords. solution of the
problem so far as it concerns public school
education. The St. Louis school is established
on an original plan; it is essentially nom
classical high school with shops annexed for work
in wood and iron. Candidates for admission
must be fourteen years old, and the course
covers three years. Each pupil has three recita-
tons day, spends one hour in drawing and two
in shop practice. Four departments of hand;-
work are maintained-carpentry, wood turning
forging and machineshop work The school
was opened in 1880, and accommodates 240 pupils
1t does not profess to be an apprentice school, it
does not offer itself as the best technical school
to form the engineer or the superintendent, but
it aims to be the best school for the boy of four
teen whose career is undetermined. 1t is third
sort Of high school to add to the classical and
the English A duplicate of the St Louis school
was opened in Chicago about year ago, under
the auspices of the Commercial Climb, Of that
city. Baltimore, also has established manual
training school upon the same type Pupils are
not received under the age of fourteen, and all
students are required to ''divide their time
equally between manual and mental exercises
None of these schools profess to teach trades.
They aim at giving more symmetrical and
practical education than the ordinary high
school affords, awakening an interest in manu-
featuring pursuits which will not be time wasted
if the building mechanic should turn lawyer or
physician. The apprentice school, with its spe-
cifc purpose to form the skilled workman, has
hardly found Judgment in this country. Our
schools are all for general education, adapted to
youth who are yet undecided whether they are
to gain their bread by handicraft by commerce,
or in profession. The only genuine apprentice
school yet established belongs to New York. IL
was opened by Mr.. Richard Auchmuty, the
building contractor, and teaches the most i'm
portant of the building trades. For the accom-
Sfnodaton of this school, or group Of schools Mr..
Auchmuty has covered an entire block with
one story structures, welllghted and warmed
with accommodation for 800 apprentices. For q
tuition fee Of SO per month instruction is to be
had in masonry, carpentry, plumbing, plaster
ing Including stucco work. painting (including
fresco), wood carving or stone cutting The re-
suit OF course in the school is that boy gets
more actual instruction and handles the tools
more than he would if regularly apprenticed of
trade. The school does not profess to turn
out thorough workmen, but to give boy enough
knowledge to make himself useful in shop. In
spite of this modest ambition it is said that last
spring seventeen Of the youthful pupils who had
been doing mason's work got situations as Jour
neymen at $4 day. There has been no lack Of
pupils. and the prospects are that the idea will
spread to other cities.
Indeed there is a chance that the question
may come up before many years whether or not
the trades shall be taught at the public EXPENSE
whether the apprentice shall become a
part of the public school system. This is ques-
ton which every community will decide for it.
self, but public sentiment seems to be increas-
ingly In favor OF making a beginning in the way
of supplying industrial education at the general
cost In the light Of foreign experience, 1t would
seem advisable that every city of the frst-class
and perhaps of the second-class. should set up at
least one apprentice-school The model toward
which educators will perhaps look for instruction
will be the municipal apprentice-school of Paris,
which has met with remarkable success during
its thirteen years experience sending out pupils
who readily obtain employment at good wages
ELIZA PUTNAM HEAToN.