The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-16

Under the Defense Program the
 Federal government is conducting,
 in conjunction with the States and cities, many short, intensive courses to train men and women in trades and industries deemed necessary for the national defense. Schools that specialized in training for trades and vocational work used to be called Manual Training Schools" Before they were instituted the trades were learned only by appren- ticeShips. Manual training schools of yesterday are the trade, technical and vocational schools of today.
 In 1888 the United States gov- ernment spent $41 100000 to help educate 100000 students in agri- cultural. trade, industrial and home economies schools, under the Fed eral Vocational Education Act This amount was matched by state and local appropriations to the amount of $1.54 for each dollar of Federal aid.
 Vocational education is really an extension of Froebels kindergarten theory of teaching little children to use their hands. Froebel had a plan to extend and develop such work for the later school years, but did not have an opportunity to put it into actual practice. Froebel justi- fled this departure from the usual academic schooling on the same educational grounds that are ad- vanced today. The idea was not primarily to learn a trade, but was to be used as special means of educational expression and to de- velop the creative power within the child.
 First School in Finland
 Between 1850 and 1860, educators and publicists endorsed the voca- tional training plan, but Finland was the first country to organize vocational training as a regular part of its public school instruction. Uno Cygnaeus, founder of the Fin nish school system, outlined in 1858 a course in metal work, wood carv- ing and basket weaving. In 1866 some form of manual work was made compulsory for boys in the Finnish schools and in the train ing colleges for male teachers.
 About six years later sloyd work was introduced in schools in Sweden and sloyd schools were established in 1872 and 1875 to train teachers. | Some of the early American teach | CTS in manual training studied in i those Swedish schools. In them the 1 old native occupations were follow ed, such as carpentering, turning, l wood carving, brush making, book | binding and work in copper and iron. Later the industrial element | was supplanted by a well organized | course in educational tool work for | boys from 12 to IS years of age, following the plan of the Finnish | schools.
 Colleges Adopt Course 1876
 At the Centennial Exhibition in | Philadelphia in 1876, the Russian | government exhibited work in wood | and iron by the pupils of the Im- perial Technical School of Moscow | This was of heavy type, especial ly adapted to secondary and col- l legiate instruction, which had been worked out in Moscow as a substi- | ute for the older and inefficient | apprenticeships system. Sibley col- lege of Cornell University also had | an exhibit there of similar charac- ter, which later was proved to be better adapted for use in American colleges. The Massachusetts Insti. ute of Technology at Cambridge. Mass, was new at that time, and Dr. John D. Runkle, the president, was on the lookout for Q system of training in the use of tools that might be added to Q college course. He made an enthusiastic report on the Russian Exhibit. which led to the adoption of the idea by the The Btitute.
 Some experiments in the use of shop instruction were undertaken ct | Washington University in ek Louis | by Calvin kE. Woodward, Professor | Of Mathematical and Mechanics. En- 1 cOuraRed by Runkels report, he des llvored an address on ''Manlial Edu. | cationv in Ht. Louis ln 1878 which | led to the founding of the ot Louis | Manual Training thIglll eehool; the | first of ils type in the United States.
 Privately supported manual tFalns Ing schools were organized in chls | oaeo, Philadelphia, 1loledo, Clleilis | natl and Cleveland before igs9, alid the iIrsi public manual training high |