MANUAL TRAINING, in modern education, the training of the hand and eye in the use of typical tools, suitable materials, and mechanical methods, as well as in practical drafting, including the best methods of both freehand and accurate instrumental drawing of objects already constructed and of objects to be constructed. In practice the materials specially used are wood, iron, steel and brass; lead, tin, zinc, paper, leather, sand, textiles, plaster, and clay are taken chiefly as substitutes for more intracta ble and expensive materials. Draftings include plans, elevations, sections, line and brush tinting and shading, letter ing, methods of surface ornamentation, sketching, etc., with both pencil and pen. Manual training may be regarded either as a part of a person's general educa tion or as a definite step in the acquisi tion of a livelihood. As introduced into the curriculum of schools it may subserve both ends. Manual training schools are broader in their scope than the technical or trade schools, though they are the logi cal outgrowth of them.
The idea of introducing tool instruc tion in the curriculum with science, mathematics and language in such a way that no one feature should be sub ordinate to another, was early under taken at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at Worcester, and at the Washington University at St. Louis. Three shops were organized in St. Louis in 1877 where special students in the me chanical arts could have some training, and in 1879 the St. Louis Manual Train ing School was established and the school was opened in 1880. It had a great suc cess. In 1882-1883 the National Educa tional Association took up the matter and soon manual training became a part of the curriculum in high and elementary schools in all the large cities of the coun try. Separate manual training schools
have also been established in many cities. The present tendency in manual training is toward definite vocational training, and the work is carried on, as far as pos. sible, under natural conditions. In man ual training schools which are for gen eral training no moderate literary or sci entific work can be out of place; on the contrary, a large share of the time must be given to literature, mathematics, and science. Shop instruction is given. The instructor at the bench, machine or an vil explains the principles to be used or illustrated and executes in the presence of the whole class the day's lesson, giv ing all needed information and freely using the blackboard. When it is pos sible the pupils make working drawings of the piece or model to be executed, and questions are asked and answered, that all obscurities may be removed. The class then proceeds to the execution of the task, each at a separate bench and with his own tools, while the instructor gives additional help to such as need it. At a specified time the lesson ceases and the work is brought in, commented on and marked. It is not necessary that all the work assigned should be finished; the essential thing is that it should be well begun and carried on with reasonable speed and accuracy. In a manual train ing school, properly so called, no attempt is made to cultivate dexterity at the ex pense of thought.