May 



I, i 



894J 



NA TURE 



1 1 



Ichool, under the management of Mr. D. A. Low, head master, 

 thich is largely recruited from the public elementary schools, 

 ,nd to which the Drapers' Company have contributed yearly 

 ^1000 to be expended in scholarships. (2) The evening classes, 

 inder the management of Mr. J. L. S. Hatton, Director of 

 .ivening Classes. 



I The evening classes are conducted with a view to giving 

 'indents a practical and theoretical knowledge of the arts and 

 ciences, and to prepare them for the examinations of the 

 iepartment of Science and Art, the Cily and Guilds of London 

 nstitule, and of the Society of Arts. It will be concluded, 

 herefore, that instruction is given in a large number of subjecis ; 

 n fact, the time-table includes more than fifty classes in pure and 

 i.pplied sciences, and further, the Governors offer to consider 

 ihe formation of classes in any similar subjects provided a 

 ufficient number of students offer themselves for admission, 

 ["hus the subjects taught at the institution are those for which 

 here is a demand. It would hardly be expected that purely 

 cientific subjects would be in favour in the East End of London. 

 The object of the majority of the students in such a district must 

 le a desire to command better wages as workmen rather than 

 he simple pursuit of knowledge. Some, however, are actuated 

 py a higher spirit. Among the classes conducted by Mr. 

 liatton is one on the differential and integral calculus, another 

 I'D analytical conic sections, and a third on the theory of deter- 

 loinants. And many, if not most, of the students of these 

 lubjects are not pupil teachers merely aiming at the obtaining 

 I'f a certificate and nothing more, but young men who after 

 liassing their days in grimy workshops find recreation in mathe- 

 iaatical exercises of no mean order. It is such ardent spirits as 

 jhese that bring credit upon the institutions assisting in their 

 [evelopment, not the mercenary "pot-hunter." 

 I Strange as it may appear, there are numbers of young men in 

 London who are unable to pay the small entrance fees to classes 

 It these institutes. While at the People's Palace a short time 

 Igo, the writer had pointed out to him a young mechanic who, 

 Ihough he had been a student, found himself in circumstances 

 lo low that he could not pay the entrance fees for the classes in 

 vhich he desired to continue his studies. He pleaded with the 

 Oirector of studies for free admission, and, it need hardly be 

 aid, his request was granted. That young man is noiv in his 

 eventh heaven of delight, for he attends classes six nights a 

 (■eek, and revels in the privilege that has been extended to him. 

 '0 all who are desirous of democratising knowledge, this case 

 -and it is not an isolated one — -must appeal very strongly. The 

 lan who wishes to work but finds his labour unwanted is an ob- 

 :ct of everyone's sympathy. But his claims for assistance are ro 

 Ironger than those of the man who craves for knowledge and 

 as not the means of attaining his desire. The London Poly- 

 echnics are doing an excellent work by reducing the tolls that 

 3r many years barred the ways of wisdom. ISut though the 

 :es to classes represent only a small part of the income of these 

 istitutions, it is doubtful whether any very great educational 

 dvantages would accrue from their abolition. " That which is 

 asily gained is lightly prized," is an old saying and a true one, 

 nd if all students were admitted free to Polytechnic classes, they 

 'ould possibly not appreciate the instruction so highly as they 

 o at present. Perhaps the best way to meet the case of poor 

 tudents would be for private benefactors to bestow a small sum 

 pon Polytechnics for the purpose of paying their fees. It is 

 ot suggested that these free studentships should be competed 

 5r, but that they should be obtainable by any who desired to 

 )in classes, and were prevented by the inability to pay the fees ; 

 rovidedonly th.at the Director of studies satisfied himself as to 

 be poor circumstances of the applicant. 



j The engineering department at tlie People's Palace is 

 ndcr the control of Mr. Robert Holt. Students are 

 'ermitted to enter any of the classes in engineering sub- 

 feels, but are always strongly advised to take up theo- 

 elical courses at the same time. For the first year the 

 iibjects thus recommended are mathematics, geometry, and 

 lachine construction ; for the second year, more advanced 

 lathematics, geometry, and machine construction, with 

 leoretical and applied mechanics and steam ; while third- 

 ear students take still higher developments of mathe- 

 latics, machine construction, steam, and applied mechanics, 

 nd also mechanical engineering. It will be seen, 

 lerefore, that by following this line of study a theoretical 

 aining is obtained which must be of the greatest ad van ■ 

 'ge in the engineering workshop. Only when a know- 



ledge of theoretical principles is regarded as an essential quali- 

 fication for entrance into the workshop, can the leaching be 

 sound, and when this is more generally recognised among 

 engineering students we may expect 10 see some results of 

 technical education. 



For some time Prof. Holt had in his mind a scheme for 

 the erection of a machine shop, a pattern-making shop, a smithy, 

 and an experimental workshop, liul the necessary funds were 

 not available. It has just been announced, however, that the 

 Drapers' Company, supplementing their former benefactions, 

 have voted the sum of £,\<xx> for the erection of a new engineer- 

 ing laboratory with workshops. 



The creation and extension of workshops such as exist at the 

 People's Palace for various trades will do much lo bring the 

 workmen lo a higher degree of efficiency. But in order to 

 discover if the teaching is suitable for the students, and whether 

 ,lhey make satisfactory progress, it is necessary from lime to 

 time to hold examinations which completely cover the work 

 done. At present, however, there is only one general examina- 

 tion in technical subjecis, namely, that of the City and Guilds 

 of London Institute, which covers only a small range of the 

 subjects usually taught, classes of such importance as those 

 in practical engineering and practical carpentry finding no place 

 in this examination. To remedy this defect, the educational com- 

 mittee of Ihe People's Palace have taken steps to form a joint 

 examination board of the London Technical Institutes. It is 

 proposed that the examination consist of three pans : — (l) .\n 

 inspection of practical work certified to be the unaided work of 



Fir.. 3, — Engineering Workshop of the People's Palace. 



the student ; (2) a viva voce examination ; (3) a written exam- 

 ination. The intention of the committee is to make Ihe 

 examination more a mechanical qualifying one than one of 

 general technical theoretical character, as will be gathered 

 from the subjoined extract ; — 



"It is proposed to lay more stress on the viva voce part of 

 the examination than is usually done, for the following reasons. 

 It has been found that one of the great difficulties in conducting 

 an examination on the above basis is to place the workman — 

 un.accustomed to express himself in writing — on an equality 

 with the clerk, who has not the same practical knowledge and 

 experience. On paper, the workman frequently finds himself 

 defeated by the clerk, and consequently lnoks with suspicion 

 on such examinations as the Cily and Guilds, the results of 

 which he, with justice, considers lo be no just criterion of the 

 merits of the candidates. In our Universities, in olden days, 

 viva voce and written examinations were held concurrently, so 

 as to afford those who had no facility for expressing themselves 

 in writing an opportunity of showing the extent of [heir know- 

 ledge. With the advance of learning and the ever-increasing 

 opportunity for expressing oneself in writing, the need of the 

 viva voce examination at the University has died away, and it 

 is at present little more than a useless formality. In the case of 

 the workman, however, who has the greatest difficulty in 

 expressing himself on paper, it is eminently desirable to revive 

 the old system." 



Examinations conducted in this manner have already been car- 



NO. 1283, VOL. 50I 



