E.— -t

THE UNITED STATES OF AMEKICA.

ScJiools. the State or municipality). The academic course is the college course proper; wlien united to the others, it forms a university."' " The State system of education generally includes a university." 3 In both the universities and colleges science teaching is a prominent feature. 3 " Free evening schools are common in cities, to provide means of improvement for '. adults and for youths who are prevented from attending the day schools by reason of some useful employment.* 1' Special attention is given in them to reading, writing, arithmetic, and to certain industrial studies, such as book-keeping, line drawing," &c. 3 But these schools are not a success ; and " the chief cause of their inefficiency seems to have been due to the inferior qualifications of the teachers employed in them." 0 The plan of study, in addition to elementary industrial drawing, " is generally adapted! to that class represented by the children of immigrants, or those boys and girls who for some1 cause have not attended regularly at the public schools, and who, on going to work, find it necessary to work up deficiencies." fl Technical instruction''' is too important a subject to be lightly touched upon. Moreover/ it is unnecessary even to do so, because the publications herewith 8 supply ample information. 1 I therefore only point out— (fl) That evidently great attention is devoted to colleges of agriculture 9 and mechanics, in which in many cases the sexes arc educated together; {b) The commencement of the blending of mental and manual instruction in primary schools ; 10 (e) The feature of certain gratuitous evening industrial and drawing 11 schools, where books and supplies are free; and («*) The fact that art schools arc not numerous. 13 An outline of the requirements of a system for the industrial education of a nation has been prepared by Prof. Thurston, and it appears to be well worthy of consideration. 13 SUPERINTENDENTS. There arc Superintendents, who correspond somewhat to our Inspectors; but they arc 6 political officers, are generally ill-paid, and their duties arc more extensive. 11' They do not, in the majority of cases, give the whole of their time to their official duties; indeed, " many Superintendents have to combine other business with their schoolwork in order to make a living." The system of inspection is not yet satisfactory. 10

Night schools,

Plan of study in '° so 10° s'

Technical mstructlon'

Superintendents.

1 Statement, pp. 10, 17. See also M. rep., pp. 17, 18. For details and statistics sec— (a) C. rep., 1885 and ISB4, p. 137 and scq. ; (b) 1.E.C., vol. 10, pp. 209-212 : vol. 13, p. 350 and seq., 357 and seq., 375 and seq. ; (c) M. rep., espec. pp. 14, 17-20 ; and R.C., vol. 3, 77G0 and scq. ; (<!) M.O.E. : For summary of statistics ef universities and colleges, see C. rep., 1885, p. 156 and seq. ; and for special provisions for instruction of women, p. 130,137, and index. 8 For details of evening schools, elementary and high, Bee Dr. Philbrick, espec. p. 32; and see Statement, p. 18; and note— la) S. and R.1., G Sept., 1884 ; (6) C. rep., 1885. 4 "Indeed in Massachusetts, under n, law of ISB3, towns and cities with 10,000 or more inhabitants p*re required ! to maintain evening schools."—C. rep., 1885, p. 132. i 6 Dr. Philbrick, p. 33 ; but note other causes, pp. 33, 34. c M. rep., p. 14; and note also gratuitous morning schools for licensed minors, S. and R.1., 0 Sept., 1884. 1 For definitions of, and distinctions between, " non- j technical or general education," "technical education," and "industrial education," see Dr. Philbriok, p. 09; and for definition of "apprentice school," p. 84. 8 See (a) Dr. Philbrick, p. G'J. (6) "Industrial Education in United States," special rep. prepared bv the U.S. Bureau of Ed., 1883; (c) C. rep., 1885, p. 101 and seq. ; and 1884, pp. 147,157; (d) M. rep. and R.C., vol. 3, espee, 4339 and scq., 7760--7785, 7813 (for review, see Circular No. 3, 1885) ; (e) 1.E.C., vol. 14, pp. 52-68 ; (/) S. and 8.1., 11 Sept., ISB4 ; ifj) Lord Brabazon, "Time," May, 18S0, pp. 547-049, j "The need of National, Industrial, and Technical i Training." On gratuitous features, see R.C., vol. 3, 7783.

I '■' The arrangements in these colleges appear to bo emi liently practical. For instance, in the State Agricultural College of Vermont thero is a special winter course for young men who cannot leave their farms in summer ant"! fall. The topics in the course are : Agricultural chemistry, botany, physics, entomology, stock-breeding, dairying, fruit-culture, road-making, farm accounts, and bee-culture. Representatives of the college co-operate with the State Board of Agriculture in attending fanners' meetings during the winter, giving special attention to fertilizers with reference to experiments conducted by the college on farms throughout the State.—C. rep., 1885, pp. 20'J, 270. 10 See G. rep., 1835, p. Oi and scq., espec. 90, and Dr. Philbrick, p. 09; S. and R.1., 6th Sept., 1884. But see 8.C., vol. 3, 7783, and "The Century," April, 1880, " Defective Industrial System in U.S.A." Prof. Ordway, at Nat. Ed. Association, Wis., July, 1884, "not only took the ground that manual trailing should be a part of general education, but specially advocated the introduction of handwork in wood and iron into public schools."—C. rep., 1885, p. 90. 11 See Dr. Philbrick, pp. 37-38, 40, G'J and scq., and espec. 79. " See M. rep. However, " last year over 500 women attended the classes in industrial art of the Co-operative Union in New York."—" Young Ladies' Journ.," Mar., 18SC, p. 148. It was said at Amer. lust, of Ed., at its 54th annual meeting, 11-13 July, 1883, by the Super, of Public Instruction, Now Hampshire: "Our systems of instruction have come down to us strong on the intellectual side, but weak on the practical."—C. rep., 1885, p. 312. n See C. rep., 1884, p. 159. II For full details,with valuable comments and suggestions, see C. rep., 1885, p. 30 and seq., and Dr. Philbrick, pp. 52, 181. 13 0. rep., 1885, p. SO and seq., and p. 270,

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