EDUCATION IN BLACKPOOL AND DISTRICT 115 



Among other types of work, special courses are provided for persons 

 preparing for the examinations of the Institute of Certificated Grocers, both 

 for the Associateship Diploma and for the National Diploma ; also for the 

 examination of the Meat Traders' Association Diploma, thereby enabling 

 pupils to qualify for higher positions in these respective businesses. 



Men's and Women's Institutes (for adults only) are provided chiefly for 

 recreational occupation in woodwork, metal-work, domestic subjects, or 

 hobbies, but with no examination at the end of the course. 



Some very useful Recreational Courses are provided at three centres for 

 young persons by a voluntary organisation, the Education Committee allowing 

 the free use of school buildings with heating and lighting, and also make a 

 grant of £90 per centre towards the maintenance cost. 



When the Board of Education Regulations (in 1924) authorised grant-in- 

 aid of such courses, it was apparently intended at that time that these should 

 be provided by voluntary organisations, and not by the local education 

 authority, and Blackpool Education Committee made a grant in aid of two 

 such centres. Later, the Blackpool Rotary Club decided for one year to aid 

 a third centre, and now, as mentioned, the Education Committee aid all three 

 centres. 



The Blackpool Education Committee aid the Workers' Educational 

 Association by allowing free use of school buildings, with heat and light, and 

 by a grant-in-aid of each Tutorial Class ; Literature, Zoology, Economic 

 Geography, History of Civilisation, Psychology and Philosophy, Astronomy 

 and Physics are among the subjects taken. 



In addition, the Blackpool Education Committee have, since 1919, published 

 annually a ' Prospectus of arrangements for adult education,' giving the 

 programmes of the varied types of educational opportunities (lectures, etc.) 

 provided by the different voluntary organisations in Blackpool, so that the 

 citizens of the borough may see what educational facilities are available, and 

 that each may have an opportunity of selecting that particular form of 

 intellectual employment which appears to be most suited to his or her particular 

 needs. 



Blackpool Technical College. 



When the Blackpool Secondary School was built, arrangements were made 

 for that building to be used for evening classes, as a Technical School. On 

 account of the number of houses being built, the chief type of work to be 

 catered for at that time was the building industry. A work room was provided 

 in the basement of the school for carpenters, one for painters and decorators, 

 one for building science, with a really useful plumbing laboratory. 



As the town grew, other classes became necessary, and courses in electrical 

 engineering and mechanical engineering were introduced. Later a motor 

 mechanics' course was included, in addition to which the chemistry and physics 

 laboratory of the Day School were used for other classes, as well as the Art 

 Rooms, and in time the school became over-crowded. The domestic science 

 classes were transferred to the Palatine School, and various temporary altera- 

 tions made to some of the workrooms. At last it was recognised that, in spite 

 of makeshift transformations of rooms, it was impossible to provide satis* 



