TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Evening Star, Issue 11681, 13 February 1902, Page 1

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Tjik Minister of Public Instruction in New South Wales, at the suggestion of the Superintendent of the Technical College, has announced the decision to open carpentry classes in ten of the more popular centres of the city and suburbs of Sydney. This decision manifestly exhibits a very correct appreciation of the sort of technical knowledge that is likely to be most useful. The history of the Sydney Technical College up to this time has been, a local paper says, but too suggestive of sanguine aspirations very imperfectly fulfilled. Some critics go so far as to say that the bulk of those who hwe received instruction there have discovered 'when too late that the course they have gone through was so curiously technical as to be of little service in ordinary work. The general impression, apparently, is that there is ample room for improvement in the institution, and that it is indeed quite unequal to the mission which it is supposed to fulfil. The Technical College, however, is admitted to represent .it least the beginning of efforts which may become better directed as well as infinitely wider, so that a fresh impetus may be given t<> technical education. The action of the Minister to which we referred above is certainly in this direction. In the* colonies generally the opportunities for a yoath to Team a trade, even in an ordinary sufficient way, are very scant—a circumstance no doubt attributable decline of the old apprentice system, which has to a great extent died out. Youths in most handicrafts are taken on as " improvers," which probably means in most instances that the margin for improvement remains a wide one.° It rarely happens that the improver attains anything like the familiarity with his trade which the apprentice used ordinarily to acquire. Through various causes, indeed, young- mechanics are frequently furnished" with very imperfect equipment, and thev represent the students whom a technical college should provide for in the first place.

" The duke," said the European gentleman, "belongs to one of the most eminent and influential families of our time." "Indeed! responded the American millionaire, with interest; ''who is his father-in-law?" An American paper indulges in a ',']oke which is not without important significance. A newly-elected alderman of New York, eonversing with a friend in a street car, remarked that be had been elected by the votes of eight nationalities. "What are they?" asked the friend. "German, Irish, Polish, English, Italian, French, arid Greek." •But that makes only seven," said the friend. " What was the eighth nationality ?* The alderman stopped to think, and ran over Ms list again in vain. " Really," he said, "there was an eighth nationality. What could it have been?" " Perhaps," suggested a gentleman who was sitting near, "there were some Americans?" "That's it! That's it!" exclaimed the alderman. "I could not think of them to save me!"