NISTER OF

EDUCATION

For the Year 1906

PART II.

APPENDIX 0.-REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF TECHNICAL
EDUCATION.

R. A. PYNE, M.D., M.P.P., LL.D.,

Minister of Education,

Education Department, Toronto.

R,-I have the honour to submit herewith my Sixth Annual Report on 1 Training, Household Science, Art Instruction and Technical Educacarried on in the schools of the Province during the year ending De 31st, 1906.

response to many requests for information on these subjects, from s educational authorities, a series of illustrated lectures was organized livered during the first four months of the year. Photographs of , work and equipments, illustrating technical and industrial work from dergarten to those monuments of adaptability and organization--the cal High Schools of Germany, were obtained from England, France, ny, Sweden, Ontario, United States and Japan and from these, lantern were made..

ectures were given in the following, amongst other places: Newmarket, rd, Collingwood, Meaford, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, North Bay, ton, Dundas, Paris, Galt, Woodstock, London, Ingersoll, Toronto, St. s, Glencoe, Petrolea, Alvinston, Parkhill, St. Mary's, Mitchell, SeaSarnia, Windsor, Essex, Mount Forest, Orangeville, Owen Sound, te, Arnprior, Belleville, Norwood, Oshawa, Lindsay, and Ottawa. were with one or two exceptions largely attended and hearty appreciaas invariably expressed of the efforts being made by the Education ment to afford information on these newer developments of educational A discussion generally followed each lecture, many questions being and answered. The pictures shown were a revelation to the majority people of the efforts other countries are making to educate for induscommercial and professional occupations. One of the main points inupon was that the benefits of Technical Education could not be secured t the expenditure of a sufficient amount of money on properly qualified rs, suitable buildings and efficient equipment, and a general willingas expressed that this money should be spent. The applications for ectures were far greater than could possibly be granted during the year me of them had to be postponed till 1907, when I shall be able to visit that had to be omitted.

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The method of showing what other countries and oth Province are doing proved remarkably successful. A goo more eloquent and convincing than mere description, detailed. The field for the use of lantern slides in this an an educational campaign is illimitable. The work of an

ment should not be, and can not be, restricted to educating parents and the people need information regarding the wo Department. An up-to-date business house spares no pa quaint the people with its products, and I fail to see that ness of the Education Department to keep the public ac

a people second to none in foresight and intelligence, and when it is once shown that the changes proposed and introduced mean progress, all opposition ceases and opponents become advocates. No more effective means of giving this information could possibly be devised than the method of "instruction by pictorial or graphic reproduction." The New York State Education Department has probably made more effective use of this method than any other authority. About one year ago the Commissioner of Education organized the "Division of Visual Instruction," unifying under one head the work previously carried on by the American Museum of Natural History and the University of the State of New York. Under the regulations now framed a

vast number of illustrations are open to all schools, institutions, and organizations in the State at virtually no cost whatever, the only restrictions in their use being that these slides must neither be used for other than educational purposes, nor upon any occasion at which an admission fee is charged or a collection of any kind taken. The State is now in possession of nearly 24,000 negatives, including re-productions of natural scenery, historic places, famous buildings, manners and customs of peoples, physical phenomena, etc., comprising probably the finest collection of negatives extant and undoubtedly the only collection used exclusively for educational lectures. In the City of New York, 6,000 free lectures are being given during the winter and the great majority of them are illustrated by lantern slides.

T

tion of lantern slides, illustrating educational work of These should be divided into sets, each accompanied by an

phlet and these sets circulated under certain conditions thro vince. Many Collegiate Institutes possess a lantern which c an assembly hall quite suitable for the purpose of these pub

CONSTRUCTIVE WORK.

The constructive work being done in the primary grades is rapidly growing in usefulness and popularity, as its aims and objects are being understood by the parents, and its scope appreciated by the teacher. Trustees are becoming more willing to vote the small sums necessary to carry it on, and whereever introduced with moderation and tact much good is accomplished. The help that constructive work can be made to the other subjects in the curriculum is, however, not yet fully understood. It is too often looked upon as an entirely new subject having no relation to others, and when introduced in this spirit, though perhaps some good is accomplished, probably the time could he better spent.

Every student now leaving the Normal Schools is well prepared to carry on this elementary manual training, having had a brief but thorough training in the use of simple tools and materials. Our Normal Schools are well equipped for carrying on work of this kind, but I sometimes fear that the excellence of the equipment provided acts, in some cases, as a deterrent rather than as a stimulus. I am continually meeting teachers who hesitate to introduce this work on the grounds that the material is not to be easily obtained, and that the equipment is too expensive for the ordinary school.

It is not always the teacher with the most elaborate equipment, and the most generous supply of material that accomplishes the best work. The art of makeshift is a useful study, and the resourceful teacher who is constantly on the look out for ways and means, and material is rarely at a loss.

One teacher who found it difficult to obtain just what she required, begged a number of wall paper sample books, and from these her pupils made an excellent series of useful and instructive objects. Another teacher did the same from the covers of old copy and exercise books. These instances which could be multiplied are simply mentioned to show that inability to obtain the usual material employed need be no barrier to the introduction of constructive work. Work of this character, in the first three grades, is usually under the control of the regular teacher, and is carried on in the ordinary class room at a very slight expense. It usually assumes some form of modelling in clay, construction in paper and cardboard, sewing and weaving with various materials, whittling in thin wood, or work in bent iron. No figures are yet available as to the cost of this work in Ontario, but, in many places in the United States the cost does not exceed two cents per pupil per year. The work at the present time is very varied in character, depending largely on the capacity, sympathy and ingenuity of the teacher. Clay Modelling is a form of Manual Training that may be carried on in all schools. The material is cheap and abundant, and its possibilities for expression are almost endless. Various substitutes have been used for clay, but most of them have serious disadvantages. The following quotation from the instructions issued by the Manual Training Department of the elementary public Schools of Chicago, may be of use and interest to some of our teachers. "Paper pulp is a substance which any one can easily make and use in place of clay, sand, putty or plaster of Paris for making relief maps, and for modelling. The material costs nothing, and is so clean and pleasant to work, it is a wonder that paper pulp has not been more generally applied in constructive work. To make pulp or papier-mache tear any waste paper (newspaper or writing paper will do) into pieces not more than one inch square. Fill a bucket with these bits of paper and pour over them about a gallon of boiling water. Let the paper soak for five or six hours, and then drain off the excess water. If now the mass of wet paper be worked vigor