64 Technical Education. 



his mind stored with information applicable to his calling, before 

 he enters the factory or workshop. Unfortunately masters as 

 a rule fail to test the pupil's ability and qualifications, unless to 

 serve some immediate and inferior purpose, and the pupil is 

 left to work his way as best he can. This is a radical defect. 

 Considering the number of educational advantages now avail- 

 able, masters would secure the most effective service of their 

 apprentices, stimulate elementary education, and generally pro- 

 mote the improvement of the industrial arts, if they would 

 refuse to admit any youth as an apprentice who had not made 

 sufficient progress in the recognised Schools of Art, Science, and 

 Technology ; — certificates of competency being obtainable from 

 all such schools, there could be no difficulty in applying this 

 test. Trade societies having to a great measure assumed the 

 duties of the old trade guilds, are now called upon in their own 

 interest to see that the apprentices to the various trades are 

 registered as properly qualified. Unless some technical certifi- 

 cate is required by trade societies from candidates for member- 

 ship, the educational status of the artisan cannot be improved. 

 One of the most honourable of the London companies, the 

 Plumbers' Company, had a rule as old as the time of Edward 

 III. to the effect that " No one of the trade of plumbers shall 

 meddle with works touching said trade except by the assent of 

 the best and most skilful men in the said trade testifying that 

 he knows how well and lawfully to do his work, so that the 

 said trade may not be scandalised or the community damaged 

 by folks who do not know their trade." 



The teaching of trades is what is rendered possible under the 

 scheme of the Guilds of London Institute, and skilled workmen 

 of any trade having qualified under the Institute can earn result 

 fees by giving instruction in their respective trades. Practi- 

 cally, the adoption of this system is limited to towns where 

 suitable accommodation can be provided in the shape of class- 

 rooms, workshops, or demonstration rooms and fittings, as in 

 the case of the Science Schools at the Belfast Working Men's 

 Institute, which received aid from South Kensington towards 

 fitting up the chemical laboratory, and the Technical School, 



