It is surprising that so few efforts have hitherto been made in this country to introduce manual training into Elementary Schools. Adequate reason for making such training part of the national system of education exists in the fact, that a large proportion of the people have to earn their livelihood by industries for the attainment of a high degree of skill in which early training of hand and eye is as necessary as it is for success in the use of musical instruments. There can be no doubt that if, in 1870, a system, resembling that of Sloyd, had been generally introduced into English Elementary Schools, the joiners, metal-workers, and most other craftsmen of to-day, would possess more skill in their own work, and more interest in all kinds of manual work, than they do now possess, and that English workpeople, finding that their children received at school kinds of training obviously well fitted to increase wage-earning power, would less commonly than now be careless with regard to their children’s attendance at school.

This reason for desiring the introduction of manual training into Elementary Schools might have been expected to suggest itself to all persons who are acquainted with the conditions under which the mass of English people live; but experience gained in Sweden and other countries where the Sloyd system has been largely used, proves that there are also strong educational reasons for desiring that Sloyd shall be introduced into all English Elementary Schools as soon as possible. It has been found that this admirably graduated system of training not only fosters deftness of hand and correctness of eye, as it might be expected to do, but also has distinctly moral and intellectual effects, as it promotes patient attention, steady application, and interest in work, to a very high degree.

Its effect on many of the large class of children who, though not dullards, show lack of interest in, and deficiency in the power to understand, the subjects comprised in the ordinary school-curriculum, has been most beneficial. In their Sloyd-lessons many of these children have found themselves the equals, some more than the equals, of companions far their superiors at book-work, and have by this gained a confidence in their own ability which has often reacted on their power and their will to conquer their other lessons. Thus many children who, when they first began Sloyd, were distinctly below the average in intelligence, have become under its influence completely “normal.” On nearly all children the effect of this kind of training has been so vivifying that, at least, as much progress has been made with other subjects, when several hours weekly have been given to Sloyd, as had been made previously when all the school-time was given to them. The general educational value of Sloyd has, indeed, been found to be so great, that in some schools in Swedish towns as many as eight hours are given to it each week.

All persons who know how badly prepared are the majority of the children who now leave our Elementary Schools for gaining rapidly skill in the work by which they have to live, or for taking an intelligent interest in their own work or in the best handiwork of others, most strongly desire that the educational authorities in this country will no longer delay the introduction of a system, the great usefulness of which has been so fully ascertained in other lands, and for which many well-trained English teachers can now be obtained. Mr Sutcliffe brought to the careful study of Sloyd, knowledge of the methods of wood-carving; and his treatise will doubtless be found to be helpful to all teachers of the new system.

T. C. HORSFALL, J.P.

Swanscoe Park,

near Macclesfield.

NOTE BY THE AUTHOR.

Some friends have advised that elementary suggestions should have been given as guidance for the use of the tools. Everything of the kind has been omitted, because it is vain to rely upon book knowledge in such matters. How to handle and use the tools can only be well imparted by a competent teacher in practice. The author avails himself of two more lines, wherein to acknowledge the valuable literary assistance he has received from his friend, Mr Richard Russell, of Ashbourne House, Herne Hill, London.

J. D. S.

Pendleton, Manchester,

March 1890.