THE PRATT INSTITUTE. We have already spoken of the manual training department of this school when treating of the schools on the Russian system (see page 894). The institute as a whole will now be considered. The institute has been established after many years of study on the part of the founder, Mr. Charles Pratt, of Brooklyn. Its object is to promote manual and industrial education, and to supplement the latter by advanced work in science and art. It has been shown (p. 891) that the founder views manual training as education; and from what follows it will be seen that he favorably regards it as industrial education-the direct fitting of men and women for earning their daily bread; but it is doubtful if he believes in engrafting industrial education, perhaps even manual training, on the public school system. He says: "The question of incorporating manual training into the public school system of the country has for years deeply interested educators, but there have been great practical difficulties to overcome in demonstrating the best way of accomplishing the work on a scale commensurate with its importance;" and then dismissing the subject of manual training immediately turns to the consideration of the industrial education, using this language: "The need of manual training as a developing power is scarcely less than that of industrial education-such education as shall best enable men and women to earn their own living by applied knowledge and the skilful use of their hands in the various productive industries. Accordingly, the institute seeks to provide facilities by which those wishing to engage in mechanical or artistic pursuits may acquire a thorough theoretic and practical knowledge thereof, or may perfect themselves in that occupation in which they are already engaged." By the side of the two-story building described on p. 895 as containing the metal and wood working shops, and connected with it, is the building, 103 by 95 feet and about 30 feet high, containing the Department of Building Trades. Work was commenced in February, 1888, with pupils in bricklaying, stone carving, plumbing, and modelling. In the bricklaying department the pupil is first taught to handle the trowel and spread mortar, and then put upon building walls, advancing to arches, etc. In stone carving the pupil is first employed in working out architectural ornaments, sketching and modelling them first. Fifty-four benches are provided for pupils in plumbing, attention being given to the hygienic features of the trade. Had this volume a chapter devoted to schools of art, in it would properly fall an account of most of the work done in the main building of the Pratt Institute. This building is 100 by 86 feet and six stories high. Its first story is devoted to books and readers, the second to a lecture hall and to a reception and other incidental rooms, the third to art embroidery, dressmaking, and sewing, the fourth to drawing, painting, and modelling, the fifth to a technical museum, and the sixth to cooking and an art hall. The library, at first intended merely for the students, contains 12,000 volumes, which are loaned to persons over 14 who have gone through a form of application easily accomplished, if the applicant be respectable. It was first opened to the public February 1, 1888, during which month 3,708 books were circulated. In April the circulation had grown to 7,408. The sewing class numbered 24 when organized in February. An evening class was organized, and in April one for school children on Saturday. Instruction in all kinds of hand sewing is given. Three classes in millinery and three in dressmaking have been formed, and others in art embroidery contemplated. The rooms of the cooking school are upon the uppermost floor. The three day classes, of 25 each, are open to all; the evening classes are reserved to self-supporting women. There are three courses of 12 lessons each, and when they have been completed it is expected that the pupil will know not only the art but the science of cookery. In front of the cooking rooms is a lunch room where, for a small sum, a well served meal is furnished for the teachers and students of the institute. Theschool of art and design occupies the entire fourth floor. "Drawing," says the catalogue, "is fundamental; it is the basis of all the constructive industries, all pictorial art and decorative design. It is the one universal language, and its importance to the designer and artisan is only comparable with reading and writing. Its applications are various and almost innumerable; but the subject, considered as a whole, may be regarded as embracing three divisions, which include all the constructive, representative, and decorative arts, namely: Construction, as applied in industrial construction and the making of objects; representation, as applied in representing the appearance of objects and of nature; decoration, as applied in ornamentation. The purpose of this department is to give thorough and systematic training in each of these divisions, which may be specialized under the heads of freehand, mechanical, and architectural drawing, color, clay modelling, design, wood-carving," etc. The first class of 12 was enrolled in October, 1887, and in January, the electric lighting apparatus being in place, evening classes were enrolled. In March the day classes numbered 133, the evening classes 174. During the past year a plumbing class has been carried on of evenings in Washinga D. C., under the auspices of the Plumbers' Association, and through the courtesy of Mr. Auchmuty, of New York, we are informed that a trade school similar to his will be opened by the Builders' Exchange, in Philadelphia, January 2, 1889. THE NEW YORK TRADE SCHOOLS. "The New York trade schools," says the founder, "were established 7 years ago for the purpose of giving young men instruction in certain trades and to enable young men already in their trades to improve themselves." "Since the New York trade schools were established a great interest has arisen in industrial training. Seven years ago but little had been written on technical education; it has now a literature. "The master mechanics in various trades have, at their various association meeting during the past few years, advocated the establishment of trade schools as necessary for the proper acquiring of the trades. Since the plumbing class was opened at the New York school, plumbing schools on the same plan have been established by the master plumbers' associations of Chicago, Montreal, and Philadelphia. At the last convention of the National Association of Master Builders the report of the committee on apprenticeship, recommending that a lad should learn the science and practice of his trade at a trade school before being employed in the workshops, was unanimously adopted. "The trades unions, thus far, have shown no interest in, or have been openly hostile to, technical education for boys or young men." The requirements for admission are simple. The pupil must be between 17 and 21 years of age. During the year 469 pupils attended, distributed thus: These pupils were instructed by 17 teachers for six months. Since the organization of the schools 1,643 have followed the courses. The buildings are of brick and cover a plat of land 200 feet on First avenue and 112 feet on Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth streets. The tuition charge varies from $12 to $35 for the course. The apparatus is valued at $1,000, and the property at $120,000. The receipts during the year from tuition fees were $6,866; the expenditures for building, $8,740; for salaries, $2,657; for implements, $1,310; for material, $2,247, the deficit being met by the founder and proprietor, Mr. Auchmuty. Comparing the per capita cost of material used at this school, $1.80, and that of the Baltimore school, $2.50, of the Miller Manual Labor school, $6.22, it would seem to be a mean between them. NAUTICAL SCHOOL OF NEW YORK CITY. The school system of New York City has had for some years a rather unique branch, the nautical school on board the ship St. Mary's. By an act of 1874 Congress authorized the use of certain naval vessels for school purposes and the detail of officers as instructors, providing that "no person shall be sentenced to or received at such schools as a punishment or commutation of punishment for crime." The St. Mary's is under the charge of the board of education and the council of the Chamber of Commerce. During the winter months instruction in common school studies and seamanship are carried on, and during the summer a cruise across the ocean is made for practice. The graduating exercises of the school were held on October 13, at New York City. under the care of the council of the Chamber of Commerce. The boys were examined in practical seamanship and navigation by several sea captains, twenty-six receiving certificates. The report on the examination shows that the graduates were proficient in seamanship and sailmaking, and, with one or two exceptions, good navigators. Threefourths have since embarked on merchant vessels. The ship can accommodate 120 pupils. During the year 112 were enrolled. The per capita cost is higher than in the other branches of the school system. CHAPTER XVI. COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS COLLEGES-NURSES' TRAIN ING SCHOOLS. I.-COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS COLLEGES. GENERAL REMARKS. Two hundred and twenty-two institutions appear on our lists for the year under review, an increase of five over last year. Twenty-one report for the first time, and sixteen formerly reporting have either ceased to exist, or failing for several successive years to reply to inquiries addressed to them from this Office are presumed to be no longer in operation. The following are the changes for the year in the names of institutions: A new school has recently been organized at Freeport, Ill., and, with the Rockford Business College at Rockford, forms Rockford Business University. The Nelson Ladies' Business College at Cincinnati has been consolidated with the Nelson Business College. There is a marked tendency among the better class of these institutions to improve the courses of instruction, making them more thorough and practical. By genuine business transactions the student becomes practically familiar with commercial operations of all kinds. "He buys and sells merchandise, real estate, etc.; receives and forwards goods to be sold on commission; gets insured; deposits in bank; gives and receives checks, receipts, orders, notes, drafts," etc. Curry University, formerly known as Curry Institute and Union Business College, has in addition a collegiate course of four years, Latin, Greek, and mathematics being taught throughout. The St. Stanislaus Commercial College, at Bay St. Louis, Miss., requires candidates for graduation to pass a satisfactory examination in mathematics through trigonometry, in book-keeping, and in commercial law. There is a post-graduate course in the "higher mathematics," comprising conic sections, calculus, navigation, etc. French, German, and Spanish are also taught in this institution. To supply the increasing demand for stenographers, schools of short-hand and type-writing have been established in various parts of the country, and, with few exceptions, all business colleges now have a "department of short-hand." A number of systems are taught, but that of Ben Pitman is more generally used than any other in this country, and may be called the "American system." According to reports of principals the length of time required to fit the average student for the satisfactory discharge of the duties of stenographer is from six to eight months, but many institutions profess to accomplish that result in a much shorter period. The number of students reported in business courses of city, normal, and secondary schools, and of colleges, is 19,683, an increase of 4,099 over last year. |