This article deals with the trade school as it trains apprentices or journeymen, by day, or supplements their work in the regular trade by part-time classes by day or night. It deals with the wage-earner rather than with the overseer, superintendent and director. The textile and engineering schools and institutes of technology belong to the technical rather than the trade-school field and the instruction is usually of college grade. Some of them have special sections for apprentices, however. Many of the agricultural and mechanical col leges in the United States have trade depart ments but this work does not always lead to a degree. Drexel and Pratt institutes deal with trade courses in addition to their regular technical and normal aims. Regular all-day trade schools and part-time classes are not yet numerous all over the United States, therefore, other institutions are undertaking trade work to meet the demand of communities to help the workers.
Education for trade has for centuries re ceived attention on the continent of Europe. Complete systems of industrial education have been developed in many countries, from the manual training of elementary and secondary education, through the trade and technical schools to higher engineering and scientific institutions. These schools are generally under government support and control. Within the last 50 years they have become increasingly important and'are graduating competent work ers for both men's and women's employments. The thoroughness of the courses in these con tinental schools has rightly given them a high reputation. The length of the trade courses abroad is from three to five years, a fact due to some extent to the demand of the trade unions for a long period of apprenticeship. The United States has some trade schools offering a like preparation. Conditions of artisan life with us are so different that the foreign type of trade school does not altogether meet our needs. The aim here has been rather to give the trade work in as short a time as possible, often in only a few months. This course is frequently accomplished by considerable drill in the theory as well as in the practice of the trade. The New York Trade School offers in its day classes three to four months' prepara tion in various building trades, a certificate of proficiency being issued on the completion of the work. European schools do not usually give
such short courses as these. The Wilmerding School of Industrial Arts, for Building and Architectural Drafting, the Lick School of Me chanic Arts and the Lux School for Girls, all in San Francisco, and the Williamson School of Mechanical Trades in Philadelphia,.eorrespond more nearly to the European model of thor ough training for three or four years. In these schools the aim is to teach the trades with the science underlying them, together with thorough academic courses corresponding to our manual training high schools. The Manual Training High School of the United States surpasses anything of the kind abroad and is a distinctly American type. It does not aim, however, to give trade instruction, and hence the William son and the three California schools are not strictly manual training schools.
The value of trade schools has been recog nized by foreign governments and they not only control, but also support or subsidize them. The war has temporarily interfered with this instruction in the warring countries, but as peace is established the work will continue. The trade schools already organized us often began under private management but passed into public control, as with The Man hattan Trade School for Girls in New York and the Boston Trade School.
Germany has been foremost in developing trade instruction to supplement shop experience. The poverty of the workers there, as well as here, forces them early into the shops to earn a living. In order to help these workers to obtain better positions and better salaries, spe cial day, evening or Sunday instruction, has been arranged in the Continuation Schools (Fort bildungschulen). Each German state has made a study of the best way to help its different trade workers. These schools have been so satisfactory that they have not only developed all over the empire, but also in other countries. In Germany they are preferred to the all-day trade school. Belgium and France are re nowned for their day trade schools; Austria and Hungary have unusually complete systems of trade instruction, and Switzerland and Italy also provide carefully for this class of educa tion. For 35 years Russia has had trade schools to train the workmen in various fields. Eng land's well-organized technical instruction in cludes trade work also.