authorities hesitated to commit themselves to any definite educational schemes. Indeed, it was seriously doubted whether such a windfall was likely to be made a permanent annual contribution from the state to the purposes of technical education. But gradually small sums were provisionally voted in aid of existing schools; and when the then Chancellor of the Exchequer declared that, if the “whisky” money (as it was commonly called) were found to be well and carefully expended, no future Chancellor would be able to divert it to any other purpose, local authorities began to consider how the money that had fallen into their hands might be best employed to meet local educational needs. Special committees were accordingly formed, consisting in many cases not only of members of the county or county borough council, but also of other persons Technical instruction committees. versed in educational matters, to whom the preparation of schemes of instruction suitable to the several districts was referred. The committees so constituted, known as technical instruction committees, were established in different parts of the country, and to these bodies was delegated, subject to periodic reports to the council, the responsibility of dealing with the moneys at their disposal. The technical instruction committees proceeded in nearly all cases to elect as secretary a gentleman of scholarly attainments and educational experience, capable of advising as to the organization of schools and classes in accordance with the terms of the act and the special requirements of the district. As a result of the acts of 1889 and 1890 local educational authorities altogether distinct from school boards came into existence, each with an organizing secretary acting as educational officer for the district. The creation of these educational authorities, with functions, however, limited to technical instruction, marks the most important step in the organization of education since the establishment of school boards.
By special minutes of the Science and Art Department new subjects were from time to time included under the term Curriculum. “technical,” and the definition of technical education was gradually widened. Among the subjects first added to the list were those included in the “programme of technological examinations” of the City and Guilds of London Institute, and the teaching of technology, as distinct from science, was thus for the first time officially recognized and aided by grants from public funds. Later, commercial subjects and modern languages, the theory and practice of agriculture, and the arts and crafts underlying various cottage industries were accepted as branches of technical instruction; and whilst, on the one hand, the definition was so widened as to include nearly all that is comprised in the curriculum of a secondary school, the teaching of certain technological subjects approached so near to trade teaching that the provision excluding “the practice of any trade or industry or employment” from the teaching sanctioned by the act appeared likely to be overlooked. Practical instruction in engineering, weaving, printing, photography, plumbing, carpentry, brickwork, bookbinding and other subjects was encouraged by the City and Guilds Institute, acting as a central authority for education of a distinctly technological character; but notwithstanding the continued increase in the number of practical classes in different branches of technology, the teaching of technology as distinct from that of science and art received at this time no direct support by means of grants in aid from the state. Under the new conditions, however, of assessing the government grant, introduced into the Directory of 1901-02, instruction in technology received some form of recognition.
The county of London remained for some time behind other counties in utilizing the provisions to the Technical Instruction Schemes for London. Act of 1889, by devoting to educational purposes the funds placed at its disposal by the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act, 1890. The funds applicable to London, which in the first instance amounted to about £163,000, but soon reached a total of about £200,000, were wholly employed for a period of two years in relief of the rates. The wants of London were not at first understood; and it was thought that sufficient funds for educational purposes might be obtained from other sources. A scheme for the utilization of a fairly large income arising from the City parochial charities had been under the consideration of the Charity Commissioners. It was first published in 1888, and, after some discussion and modification, was sanctioned by parliament. According to that scheme a capital sum of about £150,000, supplemented by a like amount obtained from the City companies and other sources, was made available for the building of technical and recreative institutions for the poorer classes of the working population of London, similar to the Polytechnic in Regent Street and the People's Palace in Mile End Road. The scheme created a central governing body for the general supervision of these institutions, and placed at its disposal an income of about £50,000 available for educational purposes, which, with the falling-in of leases, was certain to increase. Provision for the endowment of eight polytechnics and of other educational institutions was made in the scheme, and the Goldsmiths' Company undertook to erect and maintain from its corporate funds a ninth, which has since been presented by the Company to the University of London, and under the name of the Goldsmiths' College is used mainly as a school for the training of teachers. Since then other similar but somewhat smaller institutions have been established.
Before the erection of these new institutions was completed it was ascertained that the annual income at the disposal of the trustees for the purposes of maintenance and equipment was altogether inadequate; and a committee of inquiry having been appointed by the London County Council, an exhaustive report on the educational needs of the metropolis was prepared, which led to the formation of a Technical Education Board for London, consisting of members of the County Council, who formed the majority of the board, and also of representatives of the City Parochial Trustees, of the City and Guilds Institute, of the School Board, and of other bodies; and to the board so constituted the council entrusted the spending of the funds available under the Local Taxation Act, 1890. The board held its first meeting on the 28th of April 1893, but ceased to have a separate existence in 1903 on the passing of the London Education Work of the Technical Education Board, London. Bill. During those eleven years the board, with the assistance of its organizing secretary, succeeded in arranging a comprehensive and varied scheme of scholarships, which, among other benefits, enabled children from the elementary schools to continue their education in intermediate schools, and to pass on to the higher technical institutes and universities. It supplemented by large grants the income of the polytechnic institutions; it established or assisted in establishing new trade schools; it provided laboratories, and aided in the teaching of practical science in a large number of secondary schools; it encouraged the teaching of modern languages and commercial subjects; it assisted in founding a school of economics, which has become a constituent part of the new University of London, and utilized in nearly all instances with the best possible results the large annual income allocated by the County Council to technical education.
The close connexion between technical and secondary education was clearly indicated in the comprehensive definition of the former Connexion with secondary education. term given in the act. But it soon became manifest that no great progress could be made in technical education unless further provision were made for secondary education and unless some improvement could be effected in the methods adopted in secondary schools. The cry of Matthew Arnold for the better organization of secondary education had, so far, met with no adequate response. There was still an insufficient supply of secondary schools, and a complete absence of advice or control by any central authority. The urgency of this need was recognized by the “National Association for the Promotion of Technical Education,” which at a meeting held in July 1889 resolved to alter its title by the addition of the words “and Secondary” after “Technical.” This verbal alteration represented a widespread conviction that technical and secondary education are of necessity closely associated, and that future efforts should be directed towards the improvement and organization of secondary education and the union of different grades and branches of education under a single government department. That the Technical
