Added  as  a Monthly  Supplement  to  the  “ TROPICAL  A GR / C ULTV RIS TV 
THE  MAGAZINE 
OF 
TRG  STOOL  OF  AGRICULTURE, 
COLOMBO. 
Vol.  IY.]  OCTOBEE,  1892.  [No.  4. 
TECHNICAL  EDUCATION— ITS  AIMS 
AND  METHODS. 
[Being  the  second  “ Marsh  Lecture  ” delivered 
by  Dr.  W.  G.  Van  Dort,  at  the  School  of 
Agriculture,  Sept.  3rd,  1892.] 
HE  celebrated  American  humourist, 
Mark  Twain,  once  offered,  it  is 
stated,  to  deliver  a course  of 
lectures  on  Chemistry,  before  the 
Royal  Institution,  urging  as  his  chief  recommen- 
dation his  total  ignorance  of  the  subject,  which 
he  thought  would  give  him  free  scope  for  quite  a 
new  and  original  treatment  of  this  familiar  branch 
Of  science.  As  far  as  ignorance  of  my  subject  is  con- 
cerned, it  may  occur  perhaps  to  some  of  you,  before 
I have  gone  far  into  it,  that  I am  not  altogether 
unqualified,  according  to  Mark  Twain’s  criterion, 
to  assume  the  role  I have  to  fulfil  today.  Not 
having  however  the  slightest  pretensions  to  the 
quaint  humour,  the  .playful  fancy,  or  the  lively 
style  of  that  witty  lecturer,  1 fear  there  is  little 
of  novelty  or  originality  I can  offer  you  by 
way  of  compensation  for  any  disappointment 
you  may  feel  from  my  imperfect  treatment  of 
the  subject  chosen  for  my  lecture  this  evening. 
•My  only  excuse  for  touching  on  a theme  so 
foreign  to  my  proper  province,  so  much  discussed, 
so  little  understood,  is  that  I have  long  taken 
a deep  interest  in  it,  and  that  in  pursuance 
of  certain  inquiries  bearing  on  the  subject,  I 
took  the  opportunity  of  a recent  visit  to 
Europe  to  inspect  some  of  the  Technical  Schools 
in  England,  Scotland  and  France,  and  thus,  to 
a great  extent,  dispel  much  of  the  mistiness 
which  surrounds  this  question  when  one  relies 
for  information  mainly  on  books.  I regret 
however  1 could  not  see  my  way  towards  in- 
cluding in  this  lecture  a description  of  any  of 
tile  Schools  I visited,  within  the  limits  of  the 
hour  assigned  to  me,  considering  the  nature 
and  extent  of  the  subject  with  which  I have 
to  deal. 
In  the  Inaugural  Address  delivered  last  month 
by  Mr.  Wall,  with  all  that  eloquence  and  gra- 
phic power  and  charming  felicity  of  illustration 
which  characterise  the  utterances  of  such  an 
accomplished  public  speaker,  we  were  treated 
to  a general  view  of  the  range  and  influence, 
the  advantages  and  usefulness  of  Technical 
Education  in  its  relation  to  Industrial,  Scientific 
and  Commercial  Progress,  from  one  who  is  known 
to  be  thoroughly  conversant  both  with  the  theory 
and  practice  of  his  subject.  My  aim  to  day  is 
a humbler  and  more  limited  one.  Bearing  on 
the  same  subject,  but  dealing  with  it  more  in 
detail,  my  object  is  to  set  forth,  as  well  as  I 
may,  the  Aims  and  Methods  of  Technical  Edu- 
cation,— what  it  proposes  to  do,  and  how  the 
ends  it  has  in  view  are  realized  in  the  various 
teaching  institutions  which  have  been  provided 
in  the  chief  educational  centres  in  Europe  in 
response  to  the  popular  demand  for  such  edu- 
cation. I shall  endeavour  to  set  before  you  in 
the  first  place  the  objects  to  be  considered  in 
any  well-considered  scheme  of  technical  edu- 
cation. Next,  I shall  try  to  show  you,  both 
from  the  various  treatises,  reports,  syllabuses,  &c. 
I have  consulted,  and  the  results  of  personal 
inspection  and  inquiry  in  some  of  the  schools 
I visited,  how  these  objects  are  met  in  Europe 
and  America.  Lastly,  1 shall  attempt  (not  un- 
mindful of  the  warning  as  to  the  folly  of  those 
who  “ rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread  ”) 
to  shadow  forth  my  views,  however  speculative 
visionary,  and  unpractical,  of  the  system  of 
Technical  Education,  which  in  my  opinion  is 
best  suited  to  the  requirements  of  the  youths 
of  this  country,  having  due  regard  to  their 
racial  characteristics,  our  educational  resources, 
and  our  industrial  requirements. 
First,  then,  we  have  to  consider  the  nature 
and  aims  of  Technical  Education.  You  will 
remember  what  I said  at  the  outset  about  my 
ignorance  of  the  subject,  and  how  I considered 
it,  in  one  sense;  outside  my  special  sphere,  as 
a member  of  one  of  the  so-called  liberal  pro- 
fessions. Now  1 took  a great  deal  of  pains  to 
dispel  this  ignorance,  and  nothing  surprised 
me  more,  when  I first  became  acquainted 
with  the  special  literature  bearing  on  this  subject, 
than  to  find  (hat  I had  been  a technical  student 
