11

E.—-Id

never takes any part in the management of the schools it has been the means of calling into existence, its task is now accomplished. That, however, is not its own view of the case. It now does everything possible to improve technical education; it keeps the public well informed with respect to the progress of the cause ; it publishes a quarterly review—the " Eecord " —containing the latest information of the educational work of the County Councils ; it holds frequent meetings in different parts of the country ; it has established affiliated associations in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales ; in 1895 it called a first meeting of delegates for counties and boroughs, a veritable national congress for the examination and discussion of all questions relating to this important public service ; and, finally, it is extending its sphere of action to include the development of secondary education, which, in England, stands much in need of improvement. [Here follows a list of the publications of the association.]

PART IV.—TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN LONDON. The metropolis is, for administrative purposes, a county. The London County Council, availing itself of the provisions of the laws of 1889-91, has surpassed all other similar bodies in the organizing of a complete system of technical education. In 1892 was published the report of Mr. H. Llewellyn Smith, who had been appointed by this County Council to inquire into the wants of the population of London in this respect, and to suggest the best means of meeting them. The report is a very remarkable production. It states the number of persons engaged in the several occupations, classed according to age and locality. Coloured maps show at a glance in what districts are to be found the largest number of men engaged in the several most important industries respectively — building trades, metal-work, .woodwork, printing, bookbinding, chemical manufactures, &c. There is a special map of the distribution of women's work in the clothing trades. Based on the result of such statistical information is a discussion on the best method of distributing technical instruction over the whole area of the metropolis. The institutions existing at the time are taken into account. Having thus made due inquiry, the County Council set up a Committee of Technical Education, which is renewed annually, and consists of thirty-three members : there are twenty appointed by the County Council, and there are delegates from the School Board, the Charity Commissioners, the City and Guilds Institute, the Trade Council, and the Head Masters' Association, and two members appointed by co-optation. There are several sub-committees, a secretary, three or four inspectors, and a dozen mistresses of house-work schools. The Committee avoids injurious competition with existing institutions, and endeavours to improve them and to bring them into coordination. It assists them with money-grants on conditions designed to improve the teaching, and it has established a large number of scholarships. It has also set up certain classes of its own which appeared to be wanted. 1. Subsidies. 1. The grants are made in such a way as to leave nothing to be arbitrarily decided by the Commission, or by Dr. Garnett, the secretary. Everything is settled by fixed rules, and nothing is done by favour. [The writer sets forth the rules, which occupy three or four pages. The most important relate to the subjects to be taught, and the principles on which the grants are distributed.] The subjects of subsidised courses: Bookbinding, lithography, printing, shoemaking and the leather industry, silk-weaving, flour-milling, baking, brewing, watchmaking, plumbing, plastering (of ceilings), stonemasons' work, house-painting and decoration, chemistry, carpenter-and-joiner's work, photography, electricity, electro-metallurgy, machinery, metal-leaf work, telephony and telegraphy ; carbon-products industries, manufacture of gas, glass, pottery, porcelain, soap, sugar, colours, oils and varnish, coach-building, carriage-building. Grants* : 6d. an hour for each pupil, up to fifteen in number; 1-Jd. an hour for each pupil beyond the first fifteen. If the workshops are satisfactorily equipped, there is a further grant of 50 per cent, of the cost of materials after deducting the proceeds of the sale of old materials. The grants are independent of those that are made by the City and Guilds Institute. No grant is made for any class if the fee is higher than 10s. The committee grants supplementary subsidies in aid of new laboratories and workshops, and subsidies or loans in aid of the purchase of new tools and apparatus, but never contributes more than half the cost, and in these matters takes into consideration the needs of the district, the resources of the institution, and the aid rendered by other authorities. There are special rules for grants to polytechnic institutions, and others affecting art classes. The grants to polytechnics are : (1) Three-quarters of the salary of the director, provided that this subsidy shall not exceed £500; (2) a fixed contribution of £1,000; (3) 10 per cent, of the fixed salaries of the teachers ; (4) Id. an hour for each pupil. The whole contribution under these four heads must not exceed £2,500 a year for one institution. (5) The committee gives an amount equal to 15 per cent, of voluntary subscriptions, and a grant in aid of new class-rooms, laboratories, and shops. It also makes grants in aid of the establishment of house-work schools. 2. Housewifery Classes. Mr. H. Llewellyn Smith's report showed that in London a larger number of persons were engaged in domestic service than in any other kind of occupation. The number of women and girls so employed is 250,000. Further, most of the girls from the public schools some come to have homes of their own to manage. It appeared, therefore, that women's special classes of domestic economy and household management would furnish the best technical education for a very large part of the community. Such classes have been established for cooking, dressmaking and needlework, and laundry-work. Under each of these heads there are subdivisions. For

* To evening classes of trade instruction, exoluding polytechnic classes and classes aided by the Scienoe and Art Department.