Technical Institutions in England

Abstract

THE current number of the Record of Technical and Secondary Education contains some encouraging statistics with regard to the establishment, extension, and adaptation of permanent technical schools and institutions in England since the passing of the Technical Instruction Act, 1889. The primary object of the inquiry (the results of which are now published) was to ascertain the amount of money sunk in buildings for technical education by local authorities, but some valuable information regarding certain details of organisation was obtained at the same time, and has been incorporated in the article. The statistics do not take into consideration either higher grade schools or schools governed by schemes under the Endowed Schools Acts and other secondary schools; but they refer to all the various types of permanent technical institutions, and, consequently, there are included domestic economy schools, agricultural and horticultural schools and colleges, farm schools, and dairy schools. It was intended to take in university colleges so far as they included technical or agricultural departments, but it is stated that as these institutions are largely non-local in character, supplying certain educational requirements in large areas by reason of the financial assistance of local authorities, they have been excluded. The following summary, given by the Record, shows the developments which have taken place, but, as has been mentioned, it only partly represents the progress made since 1889, as it does not take into consideration secondary schools serving the purpose of technical institutes. The figures which appear under the head of “counties” refer to those institutions which have been directly established, and are being exclusively maintained, by County Councils.