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Parish in St. Luke's Parish being of too advanced and expensive a character to meet the
requirements of the large mass of ordinary artizans who require in the first place
good elementary instruction.
5. That the nearest centre for technical and manual instruction provided by the
London School Board is situate about one mile from the Parish in Summerford Street,
Bethnal Green, and your petitioners are approaching that Board with a view to establish
such a centre in the Parish to meet the needs of the children, of whom there are
48,842 under 15 years of age.
6. That in the opinion of your petitioners the high standard of English manufactures
has been chiefly attained by the manual skill of the English artizan, and that
the prosperity of English trade depends to a very large extent on the same ultimate
cause.
7. That since the recognition of this fact by the Governments of foreign countries,
great strides have been made in the provision of technical education abroad, and it is
feared that owing to the large State subsidies and the efforts of the educational
authorities, the manual training of artizans in Germany, France and other continental
countries is much more complete and more widely established than that provided in
England, and in the opinion of your petitioners the severity of foreign competition
at the present time is largely due to improved foreign workmanship resulting from such
education.
8. That the danger referred to is likely to be a growing one unless it is counteracted
by better provision being made in England for the thorough technical training of
English artizans, who in this respect are at a disadvantage compared with artizans
abroad.
9. That your Petitioners are of opinion that it would be advantageous and
economical if your Honourable Council could combine with the London School Board
in erecting suitable buildings in this parish where the education of children in manual
work could be carried on, conjointly with more advanced classes for youths and
artizans.
Your Petitioners therefore pray your Honourable Council to make a grant out
of the money payable to the Council out of the Beer and Probate duties lor
the purpose of providing technical schools in this Parish, either separately
from or in connection with any elementary centre that may be provided by
the London School Board.
The Seal of the Vestry was hereunto affixed
in the presence of
12th April, 1892.
H. MANSFIELD ROBINSON,
Solicitor and Clerk.