CHILDREN'S WORKSHOPS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 568, 24 July 1909, Page 11

CHILDREN'S WORKSHOPS.

I "In - the / ''Nineteenth Century and After" Lady Darwin dcscribc-s the workshops for. childreii.whiclh were established in Sweden-by .Mine, Hierta lletzius twenty years ago and aroi now - accepted as most beneficial institutions. Thoy, wore', started in order to. give educational, employment -to,.the';. bhilaren whose school hours only fill half., the . day.' It'.is ,Btoted that', there are now- sixteen of these'workshops in. Stockholm and .'sei/ontytwo in. the whole, of Sweden. ' ' Lady. Darwin remarks: i'Th'ere' has never been knowna single child so taught who his developed into a criminal or has' eyen .been summoned before a magistrate.,' Tho masters of the Swedish national schools unanimously praise the workrooms, and declare that the training 'there;.Has',/heightened the - interest-. of the children; in, their ;book-work ,and improved them, in every-way.'' • ~ \ How significant this is. when we reflect, •upon.the vast numbor.'of .men and boys in English -lands who, knowing no manual occupation that '■ is of!; any use, tend -as soon as they lose a job to'join the crowd of hopeless unemployed. -.. Let" us quote a .little more, from. ■ • this i interesting' articloj.T-"Among the, few . rtilcs ■ governing ;' -.the ' management- of ■ theso is. one that no child can take up a new trpde without: : tirst making severalperfect articles ,in the .trade which is being relinquished. This ,ensures thoroughness. The. children'- make .plaited ohip hats,, straw*; slippers, shoes, trousers,- - ooats, ' ; dresses, aprons', plaited chairs, l tablcs,' sbolves; -and baking troughs.' They-weave mats, dusters,, and shawls. -In. t some Workshop's .they-; make iron ' bedsteads andi'sledges. .In one school a ;considerable success has - been made by; baking bread. The children' bring" . the, flour and' materials for bread;and cakes from their homes, and tho parents; are naturally pleased to, see; the loaves of bread and buns which are brought back. They carve : woodeo . toys arid make baskets. Models for these purposes are obtained, from all -over the-world.- Great care is, taken-to choose-Work not injurious >to the oyes. Mme. Retzius .told, mo it was'a pleasuro to go into a' workshop and to, see tho delight an dp ride of the little felloivs of from' nine to thirteen 'im cutting out their- clothes "nnd'.sewing them with a machine. The care -with-which these garments' were brushed and worn afterwards . shows how. thriftiness has been; .encouraged. Some of these suits of: clothing are so well made that well-to-do .people :buy-; them, for their own, sons." It seems: that thus teaching of .tailoring was started because the Municipal Council of, Stockholm decreed that they would discontinue tie grant to the .workshops unless the bpys were taught to make their own clothes.' And it has'been found that, <theboys learn tailoring with'far more interest, from a woman than a man. . .