NAT ORE 
477 
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1882 
TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
HE Second Annual Report of the City and Guilds of 
London Institute for the Advancement of Technical 
Education is one of greatinterest. It enables us, for one 
thing, to see what progress has been made since the issue 
of thefirst Report. There can be no doubt that, during the 
short period that this Institute has been in existence, it 
has begun effective work on a plan which will commend 
itself toand command the confidence of those interested in 
education, The movement has been started with vigour, 
and very soon we shall probably have a widespread sys- 
tem of technical schools all over the country. In London 
the City schools belonging to the Institute have been 
eminently successful, to judge from the increasing attend- 
ance, especially upon the physical and chemical classes 
of Professors Ayrton and Armstrong. The classes of 
Prof. Ayrton on “ Electric Lighting and Transmission of 
Power” and “ Electrical Instrument Making ”’ have been 
so well attended that it has been necessary to make 
arrangements for providing additional tutorial assistance, 
in order that his students might receive the individual] 
attention they require. During the past session, 551 
tickets of admission to the evening classes on Technical 
Physics have been sold, showing a considerable increase 
on the attendance last year. Dr. Armstrong, Professor of 
Technical Chemistry, has given special instruction in the 
subjects of ‘‘ Coal Tar Distilling” and “ Spirit Rectification.” 
The number of tickets sold has been 265. Considerable 
progress has been made in providing suitable new build- 
ings for these schools, and in adding additional means of 
instruction and practical laboratory work. Professors 
Ayrton and Armstrong have been inspecting some of the 
best technical schools on the Continent, with a view to 
assist them in organising the institutions in London, 
Last summer, moreover, the foundation of the great 
Central College was laid by the Prince of Wales, who is 
now President of the Institute, at South Kensington, 
and its construction is being actively proceeded with. 
In this college, as the Lord Chancellor stated on that 
occasion, from which the entire work of the Institute will 
be directed, instruction of a higher and more advanced 
character will be given, adapted to the wants of those 
whe will be engaged in professional or commercial pur- 
suits, in which a knowledge of some branch of mechanics, 
‘physics, or chemistry, in its practical applications, will be 
found, not only serviceable, but almost indispensable. 
The building, when completed, will be supplied with 
laboratories in which the most delicate operations may 
be carried on; with workshops in which the various 
branches of mechanical and electrical engineering will be 
taught; with studios in which applied art may be prac- 
tised, and with lecture-theatres, and class-rooms in which 
the principles of science will be explained. 
We see from the Report that the candidates for 
the Institute’s certificates and diplomas have greatly in- 
creased during the last year. While in the year 1880, 
816 candidates were examined in 85 centres, of whom 515 
passed ; in 1881, 1563 candidates were examined, some 
VOL. XXv.—NO. 647 
of them in two subjects, in 115 centres, of whom S8g5 
passed, 66 of these passing in two subjects. Of the So5 
successful candidates, 466 obtained the full certificate, 
having already passed in pure science as well as in 
technology. According to the new regulations, the science 
qualifications for the honours grade are raised, the candi- 
date being required to produce /wo certificates in the 
advanced stage of the Department’s examination. The 
Council attach so much importance to the preliminary 
training in pure science, that they look forward to the 
time when they will be able to require all candidates to 
adduce evidence of adequate scientific knowledge before 
being admitted to examination in technology. It was 
thought that the alterations in the regulations might pos- 
sibly have the effect of lessening the number of students 
in attendance at the registered classes of the Institute 
during the present session ; but so far is this from being 
the case, that whilst, according to the returns received in 
November, 1880, the number of students preparing for 
examination at 78 centres did not exceed 2500, the re- 
turns, received at the central office in Novemter last, 
show that over 3300 candidates are now receiving instruc- 
tion in 29 subjects at 115 centres. All this is very gratifying, 
for unless the candidates undergo a really testing exam- 
ination both in the principles and practice of their art, 
unless care be taken to see that practical knowledge is 
based on a knowledge of scientific principles, we shall be 
no better off than before, but probably worse. Moreover 
a considerable increase is shown in the number of teachers 
who have been placed on the books of the Institute, The 
new rule which comes into operation after March 30, and 
which requires, except under special conditions, the can- 
didate to have obtained the Institute’s full certificate in 
honours in order to be registered as a teacher, will, doubt- 
less, prevent the rate of increase of teachers from being 
as great in the future as it has been during the past two 
years. But the Council rightly feel that the success of 
the work in which they are engaged depends, to a great 
extent, on the efficiency of the teachers who are associated 
with it, and they think that the time has now arrived 
when they are justified in requiring from those who wish 
to be registered as teachers such evidence of their quali- 
fications to impart technical instruction as is furnished by 
the Institute’s Honours certificates, or by a strong recom- 
mendation from persons of recognised authority. 
This is as it should be, and there is no doubt that the 
Institute will go on raising their examination standard, 
till it reaches the highest limit of efficiency as a test of 
knowledge of the principles and applications of science. 
The Institute is quite alive to the value of labora- 
tory and workshop practice, and it does all it can to 
encourage and compel students not to rest content with 
mere book-knowledge, but to become familiar with the 
tools and processes themselves. The Institute is anxious 
to encourage the system in provincial schools, and so far 
as funds allow are willing to lend instruments for the 
purpose. 
There is such evident anxiety to give both prin- 
ciples and practice equally fair play, that in draw- 
ing up the syllabuses of the several examinations the 
Council have availed themselves of the suggestions and 
co-operation of manufacturers; and with the view of 
making the examination a fair and satisfactory test of 
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