MANUAL INSTRUCTION. 333 



when their turn comes, by finally distracting the man from all the 

 associations and interests of school-life. 



This principle of manual instruction has been elaborately worked 

 out in Sweden, where it is known as the " Slojd " system, by Mr. Abra- 

 hamson and Mr. Solomon, and has been already adopted in over six 

 hundred schools. .It has recently been the subject of a very interest- 

 ing memoir by M. Sluys,* who was deputed by the Belgian Minister 

 of Education to visit Mr. Abrahamson and report upon it. The im- 

 portance of manual practice as an integral part of all education was 

 long ago realized by the genius of Rousseau, and first worked out prac- 

 tically and as regards young children by Froebel. Basedon indeed, 

 in 1774, introduced manual instruction as a counterpoise to mental 

 work ; but Finland seems to be the country where the value of man- 

 ual instruction as an integral part of education was first realized, when, 

 thanks to the efforts of Uno CygnaBus, the Government enacted in 

 1866 that it should be an obligatory subject in all primary and normal 

 schools. The system of Basedon appears to have been less successful 

 than might have been expected, probably in great measure because 

 the instruction was confided to artisans, whereas it seems to be of great 

 importance not to separate the direction of the manual from that of 

 the mental training. 



There have been, indeed, two very different points of view from 

 which manual instruction has been recommended. The first looks at 

 the problem from a specially economical point of view. The school 

 is arranged so as to elicit the special aptitudes of the pupils ; to pre- 

 pare and develop the children as quickly and as completely as possible 

 for some definite trade or handicraft, so as to, if possible, assure them, 

 when leaving school, the material requisite of existence. In this way, 

 it is maintained, that the wealth and comfort of the nation can be best 

 promoted. 



The second theory regards the manual instruction as a form of 

 education ; the object is to give to the hand, not so much a special as 

 a general aptitude, suitable to the varied circumstances of j)ractical 

 life, and calculated to develop a healthy love of labor, to exercise the 

 faculties of attention, perception, and intuition. The one treats the 

 school as subordinate to the workshop, the other takes the workshop 

 and makes it a part of the school. The one seeks to make a workman, 

 the other to train up a man. In short, the Swedish system is no prepa- 

 ration for a particular occupation, but is intended as a means of gen- 

 eral development. The time devoted to manual instruction is there 

 from four to six hours a week. 



Of all handiworks, carpentering has been found most suitable. 

 The work of the smith strengthens the arm, but it does not train the 



* " L'Enscignement des Travaux Manuels dans les Ecoles primaires de Garcons en 

 Suede." Rapport presente a M. Lc Ministre de l'Institut Fublique par M. A. Sluys, et con- 

 clusion de MM. A. Sluys et H. Yankalken. Bruxelles, 18S4. 



