59^ TRADK SCHOOLS AS AIDS TO IXDL'STkY. 



trades are taught, the age of achnission being 14 years and the 

 course generally extending over three years. Attendance is 

 voluntary, but there appears to be little chance of a lad becoming 

 apprenticed unless he can produce a Trade School certificate. 

 France has also introduced Trade Schools, Paris possessing 15. 

 seven fc^r boys, and eight for girls. They deal mainly with 

 furniture and the decorative arts ; the courses last from three 

 to four years, and the principal aim is to train foremen, who 

 shall in turn in.struct the workmen in the shops. 



(xerman technical education systems, which are clearly de- 

 fined and do not overlaj). as in (ireat Britain, may be classified 

 into : — • 



(1) Technical High Schools, training for the higher pro- 

 fessional positions and involving a jireliminary secondary edu- 

 cation. 



(2) Middle Technical Schools, corresijonding largely to the 

 British Technical Institutes, but devoting more attention to 

 practical work. 



(3) Institutions for Artisans. 



The " Gewerbeschule." an example of the Middle Technical 

 Schonl. is an imi)ortant institution in Germanv and Austria- 

 Hungarv, there bein^' considerably over 100 in (jermany alone. 

 The object in most cases is to train for the " master's " certifi- 

 cate, an employer not being allowed to have apprentices unless 

 their training is su|ier\'ised by one possessing this certificate, as 

 well as for the higher grades of employment; and one to two 

 years" practical work is re(|uired before admission. The build- 

 ings and e(iuiv)menl are as a rule magnificent, and the trade 

 instruction is very thorough. As examples of such schools visited 

 by me. PI. 25 shews the building's of the "Maschinenl)andschule" 

 at Leipzig, one of the finest of the kind ; the State institution in 

 Prague ; the corresponding institution at Buda-Pest ; and a view 

 of one of tite machine shops. 



In connection with the (Jerman institutions for artisans, 

 com])ul.sory continuation classes for males under 18 years of ag-e 

 was instituted in 1891. It was o])tional for a district or town 

 to adopt it by bye-law, but the system has become universal. 

 A lad is permitted to leave school at the age of 14, but until 

 18 he must attend a school bearing on his trade or occupation 

 for from six to nine hours per week, either one whole day per 

 week or, more usually, two half-days per week. Employers are 

 obliged to make provision for the youth's absence from work, 

 and s|)ecial schools have been estal)lished for i)ractically every 

 trade and calling. 



As the extent U> which this conliiuiation scimol system is 

 carried on in Germain is not generally realised, and as the 

 UTOvement for comptd>ory continuation classes is growing 

 rapidly in South Africa. I reproduce below the three years' 

 course for " unskilled -iCorkers " at the Municipal Continuation 

 .SoIk.oIs, Berlin. 



