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THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL ROLE OF SCHOOLS OF ARTS IN ENGLAND AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL ROLE OF SCHOOLS OF ARTS IN AUSTRALIA. A REPORT Presented as part of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education at the University of New South Wales by David H. McDowell February, 1975 UNIVERSITY OF N.S.W. 3891)9 -2.JliL.75 LIBRARY SUMMARY This Report deals with the historical and social factors responsible for the rise of popular education. These factors are seen as religious, philosophical, industrial and political. The moral outlook of the religious Non-conformists and the philosophical outlook of the Utilitarians coupled with the advent of the Industrial Revolution focused the work of the Mechanics' Institutes from the outset on the education of the labouring "mechanical" workers in the industrial arts. The Mechanics’ Institute/Schools of Arts movement spread almost simultaneously to Australia and was promoted by persons of the same outlook as those who initiated the movement in England. The Institutes in Australia followed those in the Mother Country. Mechanics' Institutes/Schools of Arts in both countries were the forerunners in the provision of technical education until government responsibility took over the task. Initially, they were the backbone of elementary educational provision to the labouring class. In this role they attempted to illustrate the moral and intellectual benefits of self-improvement. In England, many Mechanics' Institutes were taken over by the State in the latter part of the nineteenth century and converted into technical colleges. In Australia, the State system of education which arose left the Schools of Arts to fall into decay. The Mechanics' Institute/Schools of Arts movement in both England and Australia played a most important role in the development of public education. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the course of preparing this Report, many individuals and organisations gave me generous help. While in England in 1974, the library of London University's Institute of Education extended to me, as a visitor, extensive reference and borrowing facilities. My thanks is particularly due to the Assistant Librarian. Birbeck College of London University allowed me to examine original documents of the London Mechanics' Institute and I am particularly grateful to the Staff of the Clerk's Office. At Manchester, Dr. Dame Mabel Tylecote offered valuable advice and information for which I am very appreciative. The library Staff of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology also kindly discussed, and made available, documents relating to the Manchester Mechanics' Institute. Various public library Staff in England and in Sydney, as well as Staff of other organisations including those of the main library of Manchester University, were also extremely helpful. My thanks is due to Mr. C. Field, my former lecturer in History of Education at the University of New South Wales. He was helpful and encouraging in initial discussion and guidance. I am grateful, too, to Prof. L.M. Brown who supervised the preparation of this Report for checking the draft and for his valuable guidance. All short-comings in the Report, are, of course, entirely ray own. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTION - Background to the Social Climate - The Growth of Educational Societies, Clubs and Classes .......... 1 II THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTES FOR MECHANICS - Birbeck's Class at Glasgow - Edinburgh, the First School of Arts for Mechanics - The Glasgow Mechanics' Institute - The London Mechanics' Institute - The Manchester Mechanics' Institute .... 24 III DEVELOPMENT OF THE MECHANICS' INSTITUTES IN BRITAIN - London and Manchester as examples of the movement in the first years - The Mechanics' Institutes from their Establish­ ment until Government Provision - Develop­ ment of Government Responsibility and the Mechanics' Institutes ................ 37 IV THE MECHANICS' SCHOOL OF ARTS MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA TO 1850 - British Influence and the Moral View of Popular Education- The First Mechanics' Institute at Van Diemen's Land - Carmichael and the founding of Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts - Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts to 1850s - The establishment of other Schools of Arts in Australia to 1850s ...................... 67 V FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOLS OF ARTS IN AUSTRALIA FROM 1850 - New Aims, Changes and Technical Education to 1900 - The Early Twentieth Century and Bondi School of Arts - Schools of Arts by 1930s and later ....... 101 VI CONCLUSION ............................. 120 BIBLIOGRAPHY 129 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND TO THE SOCIAL CLIMATE It is widely accepted that the Mechanics Institute / School of Arts movement was initiated by Dr, George Birbeck, founder of a mechanics* class at Glasgow in 1800, and a founder of the London Mechanics* Institute in 1823. Although Birbeck was undoubtedly a decisive figure in the founding and development of the movement, many other influences and conditions were also responsible. Besides the influence and work of Birbeck*s contemporaries, historical and cultural factors were crucial. These factors are many sided but may be said to be of a religious, political, industrial and philosophical nature. This chapter attempts to give a brief outline of the major relevant factors broadly from the Restoration to the early nineteenth century; but concentrating mainly on the period of the 1790s and the first years of the 1800s which was the time when Birbeck began his work. RELIGION 1 Non-Conformists and the Restoration The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 confirmed the establishment of the Church of England and the nobility. The religious non-conformists were made, in effect, second- class citizens which meant among other things, being deprived of places at the English universities. For example, the 1662 Act of Uniformity required all clergy, dons, schoolmasters and tutors to subscribe to a declaration of 2 conformity to the Church of England's liturgy and to repudiate any obligation to change the government in church or state It is from this kind of background which sprang conflict between the established church and government on the one side and the non-conformists on the other. The conflict led to the non-conformists forming their own schools and the Academies of higher learning in which I they tended to favour the place of science in the curriculum. 2 The Church of England Evangelicals Within the Church of England various evangelical movements arose in the latter part of the eighteenth century. The evangelicals took on a more radical progessive approach to social problems and needs. One such group was the Clapham Sect, which enjoyed support from Cambridge scholars. One of their number was William Wilberforce M.P., who was the main evangelical spokesman in parliament to 1825 and was responsible for much social reform some of which was connected with education. Wilberforce was one of the first supporters in 1823 of the new London Mechanics Institute. In this connection he joined forces with other radicals and progressive elements of society. In the 1790s the Bishop of London supported many of the evangelical reform moves within the Church of England. An important innovation of the evangelical movemwnt was the launching of Sunday Schools during the 1780s. An evangelical churchman, Robert Raikes began the schools on I. Lawson J. and Silver H., A Social History of Education in England, p. 164. 3 Sundays for street urchins. The idea was taken up and expanded by the Methodists, and much later, other non­ religious groups were to adopt the idea. 3 Methodism The effect of Methodism on education is a controversial issue. Some saw it as "a reading religion" concerned with education, while others argue that Methodism, by concen­ trating on the regeneration of the adult, lacked the emphasis on the child. However, they were quick to take on the idea of the Sunday School although the primary motive was, at first, solely to teach people to read - to read the Bible. But Class Meetings were also held and much discussion took place. ^^sley himself stated: "Reading Christians will be knowing Christians and he set the example by providing his congreg­ ation with books which synthesised much current knowledge of science like his own "Primitive Physic".1 Methodist clubs and societies arose which were a means of self-education and determination and which trained many working class leaders. These were especially important in the early years of moves towards trade-unionism.^ In the wider social sphere, Methodists with Evangelicals are said to have been perhaps the main influences in setting O the social tone of the Tatter eighteenth century. They had "breathed new life into dissent" by the early years of the nineteenth century^ and many of the great industrial families of the north clung to non-conformism. lo W.H.G. Armytage, Four Hundred Years of English Education, p.52 20 E.J. Hobsbaum, Primitive Rebels 30 R.K. Webb, Modern England from the Eighteenth Century to the Present, p. 127 40 S.G. Checkland, The Rise of Industrial Society in England, p.29!i 4 It is further claimed by some that Methodism began the union of religion with popular education in the wider field of philanthropyIf the poor were to lead moral/ useful and happy lives they must be taught to read the Bible and the result was that by 1797 there were over 1,000 Sunday Schools with 69,000 pupils. The importance of this develop­ ment lies in appearance of Adult Schools which arose largely from the success in teaching children to read in the Sunday Schools. The first English Adult School of which there is any o record was established by William Singleton, a member of the Methodist New Connection Church at Nottingham in 1798 and aided by Samuel Fox, a Quaker. The Methodists had finally broken with the Church of England in 1795 and fragmented later to the left in politics.

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