TKADK St'lKjOLS AS AiliS Id INDISTKN. 5^1 



niercial dcvelopiiKiiis siiur 1S70. Tlu- Stale aixl llic paix-iiK lia\c Ixith 

 adopted the lony view, the fonucr in luokinn lurward to llir ullimale 

 value of the work of tlic schools, and the hitter m fure.yoint; ininiediale 

 wage returns of tiieir children ft)r future pn)si)icts. 



In Berlin. iMunich, Leipsii>, and other towns (he adds) tlie or!Li;anise<l 

 efforts of the State and the Miniicipalily are reaching every hoy (and in 

 a few cases every girl.) in a way that would hardly he credited in England 

 but for the fact that experienced officers Iiave seen it in operation. Con- 

 tiiuied education in Kngland still follows I'.ie plan of Uvssi'.':-ttiiri' or p-o- 

 as-you-please. (iermany posses.^.- a national orv;anisation for definite 

 national objects. 



The I'ritisli method makes the best lop; it also produces 

 the worst tail, and it does not dd nuicli lor tlu- genera! raising 

 of the great mass of workers. It must not be fcHgotten that the London 

 evening student on the average makes 50 hours' attendance per ses.uon, 

 while the Gennan boy makes 240. Ihe (icnuan boy must take a three or 

 four years' continuation cou'-se; the English boy may take as nnich as he 

 pleases, and 75 per cent, between 14 and 17 either cannot or do not 

 please, even for one year. 



The German schoolmaster, in the continuation school, has a great 

 advantage over the London schoolmaster. The German can turn all his 

 attention to his teaching ,ind to the ini[)rovei;ient of liis syllabus of 

 instruction. The London schoolmaster is greatly concerned with enrol- 

 ment and attendance. Practically aH the energy — and it is great — put 

 into securing enrolment and attendance in Englami i^ in (iermany set 

 free for other purposes. 



The qiie.stion (jf ooiiiinilsory cuinimiatioii fducaiioii. .sav to 

 the age of 18, if not for the complete term of a lad's appren- 

 ticeship, is one fraught with great consequences to the youth of 

 this country, and is one which, I feel sure, must be considered at 

 an early date. Compulsor}- attendance at evening classes on 

 the part (^\ apprentices was fust introduced by De Beers Com- 

 pany in 1898. .\bout nine years ago a form of indenture was 

 introduced by the Association of Alirie Managers of the Trans- 

 vaal in which attendance at evening classes was made compulsory. 

 and the apprentice was granted one afternoon i)er week out of 

 the working period without deduction of pay. in which to attend 

 such classes, this instruction l)eing supi)lemented by attendance 

 at evening classes during one or two evenings per w^eek. Con- 

 siderable dif¥ictilty was at first experienced iit enforcing this at- 

 tendance, but time has solved the problem, and the system now 

 works very smoothly indeed, .\p])rentices are being most gener- 

 ously considered by the Mining ( Jroups ; the fees, which are 

 very low. are deducted in small sums over a j^eriod of 16 weeks, 

 and the amount is returned as a bonus provided a satisfactory 

 report is received and an attendance of 80 j^er cent, is made. 

 Still, I ho])e that something tnore ma\- yet be done. I think we 

 should aim at compidsory continuation classes for all vt»uths. with 

 at least two afternoons per week de\-oted to .study. And as an 

 essential part of such a scheme it will have to l)e recognised 

 that this continuation work cannot Ijc performed with ma.ximum 

 efficiency bv exetiing classes alone. 



Referring now ti> continental methods, it is difficult to ex- 

 plain in a few words the .systems of apprenticesh.ip and trade 

 teaching adopted. Holland, as early as 1857, ado])ted the Trade 

 School method. X(nv there are over 40 schools in wliicli si)ecific 



