482 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



twenty-five boys effectively. They must form a small manufactory, and have 

 an engineering machine shop, a carpenter's or patternmaker's shop, a smithy 

 and foundry of some size. These conditions are essential for true v?ork. 

 Smaller shops tend to be of an amateur character, and only a tev/ boys can 

 get the best out of them. Workshops to be effective must be on a large scale. 

 It is seriously necessary that such shops should be established, not for Public 

 Schools only, but for Secondary and Elementary Schools, nor should expense 

 stand in the way. Such shops could be made self-supporting. Schools should 

 be able to turn out good craftsmen as leaders or workers in the industrial 

 life of the country, and the training can be given in schools better than in 

 works. In works, imfortunately, much of what is good is spoilt by the spirit 

 which competition and the conflict of capital and labour engender. Boys 

 sent out from the schools can not only be made good craftsmen, but they can 

 also be inspired with ambition to rise to high standards of skill, and to have 

 a deep insight into the significance of their work- Enthusiasts believe that 

 vocational teaching is capable of giving the highest training for life. 



There are two methods of working shops. Under one system boys make 

 things for themselves, and may follow some hobby. This is the individualistic 

 principle, and is tlie only one possible in small shops. The other system 

 is to organise the shops on manufacturing or co-operative lines. The war 

 has given the opportunity of doing this more effectively than before, and the 

 possibility for true education of this kind of working has been discovered. 

 Co-operative work involves repetition work, and there are many excellences 

 in this repetition. In shops of fair size a variety of work can be contracted 

 for, and this work will fill several types of machines, such as the lathe, 

 drilling, planing, milling, slotting, grinding machines. A contract of the 

 kind now being given for munition work provides work both rough and fine, 

 so that all boys can be occupied ; and no boy need be kept too long at the 

 same class of work. This work gives opportunities for boys who do not dis- 

 tinguish themselves in other parts of the school ; and they can therefore take a 

 higher place among their fellows, as well as gain self-respect and reliance. 



The following are some influences of workshop training : — 



(a) One chief characteristic is the attitude of mind which is fostered 

 by the shops. This is aU towards attention and creativeness. Workshops 

 are places where things are made, and the objective is to make something. 

 A boy goes there to do, and not to learn. His attention is fixed on his work. 

 Determination to do the work in front of him and to acquire skill and 

 practice is the chief aim. This spirit towards work is transferred to the 

 class-room and changes the boy's view-point there. The influence is infectious, 

 and keeps alive the spirit of -creativeness. 



(6) Another effect of the workshops is to develop craftsmanship. A boy 

 acquires the virtues of a first-class workman. He becomes deft with his tools, 

 learns to be patient, careful, accurate, inventive. He acquires the power of 

 construction and of initiative. 



(c) In a workshop a boy lives in the atmosphere of mechanics and physics, 

 and is continually either making or reading engineering drawings. He has 

 the chance to acquire a mechanical sense, and to learn by intuition the signifi- 

 cance of force, speed, acceleration, rotation. He has many opportunities of 

 using measuring instruments, and of making physical measurements. He 

 learns machine drawing, and mechanical drawing is becoming daily of more 

 interest and importance — even to the non-specialist. A drawing-office can be 

 made the very heart of mathematical teaching, as it is the centre of engineering 

 works. Very young boys can be effectively employed in a drawing-office, and 

 they learn in a practical way many of the principles of geometry. 



id) Incidentally, boys are given a vocational teaching. There are many 

 professions where a knowledge of technical work is essential. A craftsman's 

 knowledge is of value to barristers, solicitors, clergymen, social workers, land- 

 owners, and all whose aim in life is ' to do.' 



2. Nomance of Science. — It is about fifty years ago since science was intro- 

 duced into the Public Schools. This was done largely by the influence of 

 Huxley and Tyndall, and the form it first took was that of demonstration 



