higher technological schools. The one theory has preferred their union with universities. The other has chosn to make them separate and independent schools. Here as abroad, chance has often decided the choice. Prosperous schools of both sorts exist, but the most popular and most numerously attended ar in general those connected with the universities. Arguments can esily be found for each theory, but experience must settl the question. THRE GRADES OF TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. The land-grant institutions ar nearly all of the College grade, but a complete understanding of the subject demands that we keep in mind the fact that there ar different grades in technical, as there ar in common education. There ar properly thre such grades. The first and lowest aims simply at teaching an art, and seeks to make skilful workmen. It teaches rules and processes rather than principles, and only so much of theory as may be necessary to make intelligent artisans. To this grade belong the trade and the apprentice schools of Europe. The second aims to make master mechanics, agricultural stewards, and managers of industry in all departments. It teaches science and its applications to enabl its students to master and improve processes, apply principls, and control results, The third grade is almost purely scientific. Its aim is the thoro investigation of the sciences which underlie the arts, and the scientific explanation of the phenomena they present. Its purpose, as an education, is to prepare teachers and investigators of science, and of the arts. The French aimd to provide for these thre grades in their thre classes of agricultural schools. The Germans also hav technical and agricultural schools of the several grades, but in general the work of the two higher grades is united in the common polytechnic schools of Europe, as it is also in our land-grant colleges. They hav not aimd to train farm laborers, or journeymen mechanics. For these, practice schools or a regular apprenticeship is needed. But they hav sought to train scientific leaders, captains of industry, teachers, writers, and investigators. Much of the confusion apparent in the public mind in regard to these colleges, would be avoided by a careful attention to these grades of technical instruction. It must be evident that no one school can cover the thre fields. The two higher so nearly coincide that they may be united in the same institution, tho differing, to some extent, both in processes and aims; but the lowest cannot be properly included in the same institution with either of the others. Its aim is the art as a trade, and its chief business is to giv practice in order to gain skil. Experience proves that with wel-chosn and systematic exercises, the school shop is superior to the common apprentice system for teaching trades: but the technical college would sacrifice its higher and more important end should it attempt such extended practical exercises. THE DIVERGENCIES, of the land-grant colleges in the respects noticed ar not the only ones, nor indeed the most numerous. They hav differd both in aims and methods according to the conceptions of their founders and managers. Some yielding to the popular wish hav made the educational element strong, and the technical small and weak, and hav thus differd but littl from other colleges except in the larger measure of science in their courses. Others, in their anxiety to be practical, hav diminisht the scholastic element and exalted unduly the technical, and hav become merely a higher sort of practice schools. Ignorant of, or neglecting the light of experience, some hav tried wild experiments with littl profit, and ending in failure. The variations lav in general, swung between the two extremes of the purely educational and the merely technical; or between the two other extremes of science without practice, and practice without science. We may neglect here the variations between agricultural and mechanical or engineering schools. These ar variations in the classes of technics taught, and hav been governd by the predominant industries of the State concernd, the agricultural States demanding chiefly agricultural schools, and the manufacturing States, schools of mechanical engineering and art. AN ILLUSTRATION. Neither time nor information would serve to describe in detail the landgrant colleges in order. I cite the Illinois Industrial University as an illustrativ exampl, becaus having been connected with it from its outset, I am best acquainted with its career. This institution was organized under the land-grant law, and receivd its chief endowment from the Congressional donation of 480,000 acres in land-scrip. It receivd also a munificent donation of $450,000 from the county in which it is located, and it has been further aided by appropriations from the State amounting to over $300,000. By law it was made a University, and as Illinois had no State University proper, it became the State University. It thus took the theory of the union of university and technical education. But while thus aiming to comprehend all forms of higher education, it did not relegate the scientific and technical to a subordinate place, but gave them equal rank with the classical. Its theory of study in all branches, scientific as wel as technical, was the union of theory and observation. In the technical branches, it from the outset introduced and maintaind shop and field practice, not to teach trades but to make its instruction more thoro, comprehensibl, and practical. Its chemical, fysical, fysiological, mechanical, botanical and other laboratories hav worked side by side with the progress in the corresponding sciences. Two or three years before the great technical schools of Russia made their famous exhibits at Vienna and Philadelphia, and opend the eyes of our Eastern brethren to the valu and feasibility of a sytematic shop practice for students of mechanical engineering, the shops of this University wer doing substantially the same work. The University has seven courses of studies in technic schools, two courses in science, and two in general literature and science for general education. The technic courses include thre in engineering, civil, mechanical, and mining; one in architecture, one in agriculture, one in horticulture, and one in domestic science. The two courses in science ar that in analytical and applied chemistry, and that in the natural history sciences. The two courses in literature and general science embrace a classical course in the modern languages and literature. Each of these eleven courses extends thro four years, and leads to an appropriate degree. The technical courses ar made up, 1. of a thoro course of the technical branches, theoretical and practical, belonging to the school, 2. of the sciences cognate to the course, and 3. of such literary, historical and other studies as the time allows, and as may better fit the student for investigating or explaining his art. The primary aim of these technical courses is to giv the student a thoro knowledge of the theory of his art, and of the sciences on which it depends, with such practical exercises as may insure his comprehension of principls, and giv him a clearer insight into their applications. Asa graduate he is prepared to enter upon the practice of his profession, and to gain skil by an intelligent experience, or to become a higher student and teacher of his art if genius or duty so direct his choice. His university and non-professional studies hav givn a broader culture and a larger hold upon life and society. It is believd that the university character of the institution has been an important advantage to its technical work. 1. It has increast the number of technical students. Many who came for general education hav been attracted to the technical courses, rarely, if ever, in the other direction. 2. The technical courses hav gaind dignity in the eyes of students, by their university connection. The technical students have stood as high in college esteem as those in general courses of education. Of the ten classes graduated, the foremost men in thre wer students in agriculture; in two "the first men wer engineers, and in the other classes the honors wer divided. 3. Technical and scientific studies hav gaind in public esteem, by their connection with the university, and hav obtaind a wider dissemination through the many general students who hav takn partial courses in such studies. Every succes won by the University as a university, has.reacted to the advantage of technical education. RESULTS. 1. The experience of this university favors, beyond question the union of technical schools with our universities; and certainly so if the technical school is made co-ordinate with the best schools, and not an inferior dependency. 2. The feasibility and valu of technical education has also been demonstrated afresh, and for the American peopl. The positions alredy occupied by the graduates from the technical schools of the university ar a sufficient proof of the valu of technical training and knowledge. CONCLUSION. What wil be the fate and outcome of these land-grant colleges? I answer without hesitation, and with emphasis, their final succes is certain; their valu to the country wil, in time, amply justify the wisdom of their endowment. They wil pay back to the country a hundred-fold for the donation which gave them existence. They ar in line with the master forces of the age. They interlock with the magnificent Sciences and Arts of the 19th century. Their mistakes wil be corrected. They wil convert their foes. They wil be followd by their rivals. They lead the educational revolution which is alredy invading our oldest and most conservativ institutions. Their triumph wil ad another to the victories which man has won over his environment, over nature, over himself. They wil react upon science by enlarging its field, setting it new problems, demonstrating its discoveries, and giving broader usefulnes to its great facts and truths. They wil popularize education by giving it new and practical application and valu. They wil aid the arts by giving them traind investigators, inventors, and leaders, and by bringing larger lights from science into workshops and fields. They wil help on civilization through all its fields and all its forces. They wil thus promote the welbeing of Man, and giv glory to God the Creator of Nature and man. Adjourned. Second Day's Proceedings. WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 14, 1880. The Department met at the "Headquarters" in the Palace Hotel. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, E. E. WHITE, Lafayette, Ind., Vice-President, W: W. FOLWELL, Minneapolis, Minn., After some time spent in discussing the ways and means of promoting Industrial Education, on motion of W: W. FOLWELL it was voted that hereafter it should be the duty of the Secretary of the Department to procure statistics of the condition and progress of Industrial Education during each year, and to report the same to the Department at its annual meeting. It was agreed that some competent person should be invited by the President of the Department to prepare a paper for the next meetting, on the "Decay of Apprenticeship, its Cause and Remedies. The Department chose as its representatives in the National Council of Education, E. E. WHITE, C: O. THOMPSON, and W: W. FOLWELL. Adjourned. DEPARTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENCE. First Day's Proceedings. TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 13, 1880. The Department was called to order by J. O. WILSON. A. J. RICKOFF was chosen temporary Chairman, and HORACE S. TARBELL temporary Secretary. The election of officers for the next year resulted as follows: Secretary, SAMUEL FINDLEY, Akron, Ohio. On motion of A. J. RICKOFF, the Secretary was instructed to draw up suitable resolutions in regard to the life and death of BERNARD MALLON. On this resolution S. G. BRINKLEY, of Georgia, spoke as follows: Mr. President: Allow me to say one word in regard to Mr. MALLON. He was the life and soul of the Georgia Teachers' Association, one of its founders, and one who labored hard to create and sustain an interest in its meetings. He was the man from whom I first caught inspiration as a teacher, and at whose feet I learned something of the art of teaching. During the month of July, of last year, he conducted, at Emory College, Oxford, Georgia, the first Normal Institute ever established in the State. I had the great pleasure of attending that Institute. When Mr. MALLON left the State of Georgia to accept the Presidency of the Sam-Houston Normal School, Huntsville, Texas, we all regretted his departure very much; but when we learned of his sudden death, we could not find words to express our sorrow. Mr. President, I do not say too much when I tell you that the whole State of Georgia loved and honored Mr. MALLON, and now she still mourns his loss. He has left upon education in Georgia an impression that will be felt beyond the times and places that have had the good fortune to enjoy his immediate supervision. It was voted that at the final adjournment of the Department, it adjourn to meet in Washington, D. C., at such time the coming winter as may be arranged by the officers of the Department and the Commissioner of Education. Adjourned to meet on call of Vice-President CALKINS, if another meeting be needed before the final adjournment of the General Association. |