THE CRAFT SCHOOLS OF AUSTRIA.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 3, 2 January 1906, Page 59

THE CRAFT SCHOOLS OF AUSTRIA.

By A. S. Levetus.

The schools with which this article deals are the so-called " Fachschulen," scattered over Austria and her Crown lands, and having for their purpose the training of good workmen in particular branches of trade, and the application of art to manufacture. Originally they were founded for the purpose of reviving home industries, which had almost become a lost art. Their later aim is to create superior workmen, fully equipped both practically an I scientifically, not only as far as regards their own particular trade, but also branches allied with it ; in fact, to gi/e them "something of everything and everything of something." These schools come under the category of " secondary " schools ; they stand midway between the elementary schools on the one hand, and the " Kunstgewerbeschulen," or schools of applied art, and ths Imperial Academy, on the other hand. The Fachschulen tram workmen, ths Academy and Kunstgewerbeschulen artists and teachers. But those attending the Fachschulen and showing particular talent are, after having passed through the coursss there, provided with stipends and sent to a Kunstgewerbeschule at Vienna, Prague, or Lemberg, there to receive the higher training necessary for becoming artists or teachers. These " Fach " schools are, as are all schools m Austria, under the direction of the Mmistenum fur Cultus und Unterncht, special inspectors being appointed for periodical inspection Each school is managed by a director, who has under him a staff of professors and assistants. The office of director is no sinecure, for he must be a master not only m theory, but also in practice. There are about a hundred-and-fifty Fachschulen belonging to the State, and seventy which receive State aid. They are situated m all parts of the Austrian dominions, not only m towns but m remote places m the mountain regions. As certain trades and home industries have from times immemorial been confined to certain districts, great care has always been taken when planting schools that the teaching shall conform to that particular industry ; not, however, to the exclusion of other trades, for in many cases new ones have been introduced. Hence the schools are varied, and they may be either purely technical or such as give instruction in art and its application to industries. It is of these latter that I wish to speak more especially. There are schools for pottery-making, weaving, stonecuttmg, modelling, jewellery, stone-setting, cabinet-making, basketmaking, locksmiths, glass-making ; in fact, for every conceivable subject. The relations between manufacturers and the schools are most happy ; the schools do not enter into competition with them, but the pupils are eagerly sought after when they have completed their courses. The evening and Sunday morning classes for apprentices and assistants are very well attended, as also the special courses for masters. These masters are small manufacturers employing a few hands — often only a boy ; but they are eager to improve, and connection with these schools keeps them in touch with the outer world, from which they would otherwise be cut off. Not only do masters, men, and apprentices receive instruction in drawing and allied subjects, but they are allowed to take books from the library for home reading, and borrow modern patterns and designs, which are supplied to the Fachschulen by the Austrian Museum. Hofrat yon Scala is the director of the Museum and also the inspector of these schools, so that they are always in touch with the^Museum. The fees are nominal ; m most cases only a small subscription, equal to tenpence per term. This is naturally excused in many casss, for those attending the schools are mostly so poor that their parents would find it very difficult to pay even this small sum. In the districts where the people are better off Austrian subjects pay from two to five kronen per term, foreigners from twent / to fifty kronen (a krone is lod.) ; but no foreigner can be admitted without special permission from the Ministry of Education. Attached to all schools are a number of small stipends given by the Ministry, the Board of Trade, towns and guilds, as also private persons. These in most cases cover the whole expense of the training, including board and lodging, and are only given to really dessrvmg boys. Each school is provided with a library, containing technical and instructive works bearing upon art-industry m general, and on the subjects taught in the school in particular. There is also a special fund, supplemented by the State, for providing the library with current literature on art, architecture, applied art, and allied subjects, in German, French, Bohemian, and English. The books and magazines are lent free to the pupils, either to read in the reading-room or at home. This applies also to those attending the evening and Sunday morning classes.

As a rule no pupil is admitted to the clay classes who has not satisfactorily passed through the eight classes of the elementary schools (Volks-und Burgerschule), and has completed his fourteenth year. This is, however, no drastic rule, and for many reasons. A boy may be very dexterous with his hands, and not with his brain ; very intelligent, where one branch of learning is concerned, and yet unable to obtain proficiency m other subjects. Again, many who attend these schools come from villages in the mountains, and are children of parents ignorant of the three R's. Besides, anyone travelling in the Tyrol or Riesengebirge will easily realise how difficult — nay, how impossible — it would be to provide each mountain village with even a Volkschule, which has five classes, while a Burgerschule has six, seven, and eight classes. In sowing and reaping seasons there can be no school, as the children are needed to work m the fields, for the poverty in such districts is great indeed. And during the hard winters they must go through deep snow, often a journey of two hours, before arriving at a school. Away up m the mountains five or six families perhaps constitute a village, and all villages have not even churches. But deficiences in early education are made good, for pupils are admitted for the first year as " Hospitanten," and during this time are taught, in addition to the Fachschule subjects, those of the elementary schools. At the end of that time, and after having passed a satisfactory examination, they become ordinary pupils of the Fachschule. There are, for obvious reasons, no restrictions regarding elementary education for those attending the evening and Sunday morning classes. The duration of a course of instruction depends entirely on the nature of the particular trade in which the boy is to become an expert — two, three, or four years, as the trade demands. The ages vary from twelve (nominally from fourteen) to sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. Certain advantages are allowed to pupils trained in one of these schools : in all cases its certificate of proficiency is accepted in lieu of apprenticeship, so that, having satisfactorily passed through the classes, a pupil may at once enter on his trade as a journeyman ; the government also recognises the higher standing of these schools as compared with ordinary apprenticeship by excusing pupils from one year of military service — that is, they serve two years instead of three. The school buildings, workshops and outbuildings of all those schools I visited are large and airy, fitted with modern machinery, kilns, etc., according to the nature of the particular school ; there are laboratories for experimenting, and no expense is spared in the finding out of new methods, be it of glazing or anything else connected with art and manufacture. Every care is taken that the pupils have a good general knowledge of their trade before specialising, this being a great advantage over the ordinary workshop. Art and manufacture go hand in hand, as do also theory and practice ; they are never taught as things apart. The mornings are devoted to theory, the afternoons to practice, supervised by skilled professional teachers, men devoted not only to their professions and trades, but also to their pupils, for everywhere have I noticed that true union between teacher and taught which alone can bring success to a school. Lectures on various subjects are given with scioptic illustrations, some on the history of art and industry, others on the trade of the district and trade in general, and on subjects of general interest ; all possible help is given to promote culture as well as educate, the essential thing inculcated being " skill in some useful labour." In every school a certain number of hours every week are devoted to commercial education, bookkeeping, shorthand, commercial arithmetic, and allied subjects. The school hours are from 8 to 12 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. The time devoted to drawing and designing depends entirely on the nature of any one particular school ; for instance, in a school for ceramics a much longer time would be devoted to these subjects than in one for weaving. In summer excursions are made (this I learnt at Gablonz), which sometimes occupy two or three weeks together, for by spending days in the open the pupils have greater opportunity of studying nature than even m a perfect school ; they can then better apply nature to trade, that is, in ornamentation. In this way the workman learns to love his work, to have that true feeling for whatever lies before him which alone can make the perfect workman , he is himself ennobled bv this work for he learns the true dignity of work and is infected by it.

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