Updated - 22 October 2018
Copyright - G P Sagar 2015
Kill the Skill?
Brian Peck in 2015
Now
retired,
as
a
craftsman,
has
left
a
legacy
of
excellence
which
no
more
is
to
be
emulated.
Having
tried
to
encourage
apprentices,
but
sadly
failing,
his
very
specialised
work
which,
no
machine
can
produce,
has
come
to
an
end.
It
is
now
very difficult to find anyone who can carry out quality hand engraving - I have tried!
During
the
1960s
and
70s
there
was
a
great
drive
and
excitement
towards
producing
work
of
a
very
high
standard.
Teachers
were
keen
to
display
their
own
work
and
hope
to
to
encourage
pupils
to
follow
their
example.
The
evidence
of
this
was
to
be
seen
in
the
yearly
exhibitions
put
on
by
schools
and
colleges.
Traditional
crafts
figured
highly
in
such
work,
but
so
did
the
pride
of
the
people
who
did
it.
one
problem
did
exist
in
the
form
of
a
huge
variation
of
standards
of
such
work in schools.
“Gone are the days of making products with no real purpose, just to demonstrate and teach skills”.
(Page 24 D&T Practice Issue 1 2015)
Today
we
have
a
fight
on
our
hands
to
even
keep
practical
work
within
schools.
Statements
such
as
the
above
are
not
unique
or
surprising
but
are
a
sad
reflection
of
our
times
born
of
a
genuine
ignorance
of
what
went
before.
Even
more
sad
is
the
context
in
which
it
was
made
where
by
a
purely
academic
design
examination
was
being
promoted
to
satisfy,
and
justify,
the
development
of
the
French
Baccalaureate
system
of
examination
within
our
schools.
It
might
not
be
everyones
cup
of
tea,
but
the
evidence
below
of
examples
of
pupils
and
staff
work
is
witness
to
some
very
poitive
teaching
and
learning.
Remembering
the
excitment
I
first
had
when
confronted
by
the
workshop
environment
nothing
has
changed.
Pupils
always
without
exception
display
a
serious
eagerness
to
make
something!
It
is
a
natural
human
instinct,
therefore
why
stifle
that
urge
with
supposed
constraints
in
the
guise
of
design
etc.?
Just
observe
the
real
successful
entrepreneurs
-
although some do really need appropriate guidance.
In another instance and based upon personal experience -
The Engraver
Imagine
-
entering
through
the
dingy
door
from
a
side
street
in
Sheffield
sometime
in
the
late
1960’s,
and
being
confronted
by
a
narrow
flight
of
bare
wooden
stairs
leading
to
a
dark
painted
door
at
the
top.
On
entering
you
see
a
dusty
bench
in
front
of
a
dirty
window
which
allows
a
limited
amount
of
light
through,
above
is
an
old
filament
light
bulb
without
a
shade.
Around
the
sides
of
this
small
room,
which
once
were
whitewashed,
are
benches
with
years
of
history
sitting
on
the
surface
intermingled
with
the
remnants
of
years
of
dust
and
spider
activity.
At
the
bench
sits
Mr
Davies
working
at
his
vice
looking
through
a
strong
magnifying
glass
and
working
on
the
end
of
a
length
of
steel.
Close
inspection
reveals
an
exquisite
design
incorporating
a
complicated
coat
of
arms
with
inscription.
This
is
a
punch
commissioned
by
one
of
the
leading
cutlery
makers
for
stamping
on
their special product to be sold on the open market around the world.
Davies
is
a
craftsman
producing
work
few
can
emulate.
The
punch
is
engraved
in
reverse
so
that
its
impression
is
the
correct
way
round
when
used.
Day
in
and
day
out
he
works
in
this
way.
I
was
so
honoured
that
he
made
my
silver
punches.
The
memory of him is always with me.
surroundings,
time
of
no
essence,
but
the
work
is
of
such
expertise.
How
do
you
describe
what
the
real
qualities
of
a
craftsman are. How can these qualities be emulated.
In
these
days
of
the
craft
fair
the
concept
of
craft
has
been
misinterpreted
a
great
deal
for
how
can
you
equate
dried
flower
arranging
or
greeting
cards
making
with
the
work
of
such
people
as
John
Makepeace
or
Robert
Welsh
and
so
many
others
who
have gone before.
How and why has the knowledge of this real Craftwork been banished from our practical curriculum is?.
The excitement experienced by children in producing things of real worth.
Sleep and
There
was
great
argument
as
to
the
place
for
these
hand
skills
hence
this
type
of
work
was
eventually
replaced
by
a
design
based curriculum.
What of the students we teach?
There
is
a
real
question
mark
over
the
concept
of
Design
in
education
even
to
this
day.
After
a
number
of
generations
the
educational
pattern
has
become
entrenched
to
a
point
that
the
way
we
teach
now
is
simply
accepted
as
'the
way'.
But
you
only
have
to
look
at
society
to
know
something
is
not
right,
and
we
therefore
have
to
ask
the
question
whether
or
not
what
we
have
been
doing
for
the
last
umpteen
years
has
been
right
and
can
we
apportion
any
blame
to
our
small
element
of
education
within the whole.
Look
at
the
range
and
standard
of
work
produced
by
pupils
in
the
late
fifties
and
sixties.
It
is
also
a
fact
that
a
number
of
very
influencial educators who were good at the drawing board lacked confidence and knowledge within the workshop.
It
also
has
to
be
acknowledged
that
there
has
been
a
big
influence
regarding
social
stigma
relating
to
the
concept
of
getting
your
hands
dirty.
The
Governments
through
the
ages
have
let
us
down
badly
in
this
respect
through
their
own
complete
ignorance
of
what
it
is
all
about.
Stand
back
and
look
at
society
of
today
-
observe
the
big
picture
-
and
ask
the
right
questions
about
what
we
have
done
wrong.
Do
not
bury
heads
in
the
sand
saying
that
this
is
just
a
natural
progression.
We
are
in
charge
and we can control the change.
The pride and joy of a pupil taking home something that has been made and can be used.
Learning what quality is.
Character building.
Social importance.
Much depends on the enthusiasm and qulity of the teacher.
Health and Safety
With
regard
to
health
and
safety,
little
was
officially
imposed
until
the
government
acts
of
1974.
Much
dependent
upon
the
commonsense
of
the
teaching
profession
and
an
amount
of
guidance
from
the
Institute.
Industry
was
another
key
player
in
establishing operational protocol.
In-Service Training
In
service
training
-
another
big
change.
The
1990s
saw
a
great
growth
in
chargeable
courses.
Teachers
being
required
to
attend
a
whole
range
of
associated
training
birds
at
significant
expense
to
the
schools
or
individually.
The
transition
was
quite
swift and it cannot escape suspicion of being engineered.
Prior to this course is for training were generally run by the Institute for free or nominal charge - all on the back of
genuine enthusiasm. The yearly conference offered a concentrated in-service training when many teachers could come
together and share ideas and
"Britain
is
desperately
in
need
of
skilled
workers"
is
a
constant
cry
from
today's
government,
but
what
do
we
really
understand
about
the
term
'skill'.
It
has
in
fact
become
so
generalised
and
widely
used
the
real
meaning
has
become
so
fudged that it is up to the individual to form their own understanding.
What
do
we
really
know
and
understand
about
this
term
skill.
Will
the
politicians,
and
in
fact
all
who
use
it,
please
be
more
specific in what they mean.
In
fact
a
large
area
of
human
capability
is
hidden
behind
this
word
together
with
wide
ranging
levels
of
expertise.
It
is
also
perceived
to
be
relative
to
the
operation
in
hand.
From
the
simplest
of
concepts
such
as
a
chimpanzee
using
a
stick
as
a
tool
to
retrieve
honey
from
a
difficult
place,
to
the
craftsman
who
only
perfects
his
craft
after
a
lifetime
involvement.
Coming
in
many
guises
according
to
the
human
pursuit,
from
skill
in
the
written
word
to
skill
on
the
sports
field,
it
means
so
much
to
so
many. But here I narrow the field to its association with practical and creative work.
Craftsmanship
is
the
older
terminology
for
work
in
our
practical
sphere,
but
even
this
is
misunderstood
today.
If
‘craft’
is
mentioned
in
general
conversation
it
is
likely
to
be
misconstrued
as
the
candlemaking
and
wooden
pendants
which
proliferate
the
craft
fairs
of
today.
Very
little
appreciation
of
what
might
be
termed
the
heavy
crafts
exists
in
our
throw
away
society.
It
is
very
unlikely
that
members
of
the
public
would
give
a
second
thought
to
something
that
a
true
craftsman
would
have made especially because of the cost involved.
However,
there
still
exists
pockets
of
people
who
produce
work
of
real
quality.
This
in
itself
poses
another
question
what
do
we
mean
by
quality?
A
visit
to
the
Goldsmiths
fair
which
is
an
annual
event
displaying
contemporary
work
of
gold
and
silver
smiths
is
evidence
of
true
craftsmanship
still
being
practised.
Evidence
also
of
young
people
still
with
a
desire
to
pursue
such
careers,
but
I
suspect
that
little
encouragement
or
support
is
generated
at
school.
Or,
perhaps
in
a
small
way
some
seeds
are
sown in independent schools who are free of government constrictions.
It
is
however
of
interest
to
note
that
some
of
these
young
sons
with
designers
take
advantage
of
other
people
skills
in
achieving
their
goal.
Specifically,
having
met
a
student
I
used
to
teach
in
Sheffield
much
later
in
life,
I
found
out
that
he
became
an
expert
metal
spinner
who
not
only
offers
training
courses
but
spins
silver
to
customers
requirements,
and
very
often these are students in training.
Evidence of cabinetmaking also exists in the small number of specialist colleges, and courses, which still exist.
The
opening
sentence
is
sadly
typical
of
a
growing
number
of
educationalists
within
this
field
who
are
sadly
very
ignorant
of
the real history within the school subject, and consequently my aim in this section is to redress this lack of knowledge.
Draughtsmanship
is
not
just
about
skill.
It
is
in
fact
a
description
of
a
home
character.
An
analysis
of
the
term
is
applied
to
a
person
will
show
that
there
are
many
facets
making
up
the
whole.
Skill
in
its
various
guises
is
only
a
part
of
this
whole,
but
patients,
determination,
emotion,
pleasure,
knowledge,
tenacity,
dedication,
self-esteem,
are
just
a
few
of
the
essential
elements making up this whole.
Giles,
in
his
wonderful
cartoons,
highlights
many
of
these
qualities
in
a
humorous
way.
Obviously
only
a
small
proportion
of
these little candidates will ever reach that educational perfection, but of course that is true with all aspects of education.
Visual
communication
is
a
vital
part
of
the
process
of
craftsmanship,
but
we
have
lost
this
capability
in
the
wider
society.
Fewer
and
fewer
adults
are
now
able
to
formulate
a
sketch
representing
the
picture
which
they
have
in
their
mind.
When
asked
to
make
something
for
someone
else
the
following
conversation
is
becoming
the
norm.
Could
you
make
me
a
thing
for
this please. I think I could I will certainly try. How do you want it to appear there? Well you know.
Skill
-
Academics
-
creativity
--
but
what
of
the
third
condition
of
disciplined
skill?
What
we
do
is
ignore
the
education
which
includes the mental agility to create using the disciplines of a structured thinking.
Monkey see, monkey do.
How do we define ‘creativity’? What of problem solving?
Creativity - how do we define it.?
All creative output relies on a degree of skill. What is skill? How can it be taught.
The teaching of skills has for a long time been frowned upon as an important aspect within the curriculum.
Academics - creativity -- but what of the third condition of disciplined skill? What we do is ignore the education which includes
the mental agility to create using the disciplines of a structured thinking.
The term skill is used generally within society but has anyone ever stopped to really think about its definition. There are
many forms, or categories, of skill and to generalise is not necessarily helpful.
Consider the act of filing a cube in steel to a high degree of accuracy as training for a pit head technician.
The tray maker working a sheet of silver with a 5 pound hammer.
The engraver who can engrave on the inside of a goblet.
Compare these with the skilful computer operator.
Thank You Giles!
To see with the eyes, to do with the hands, to understand with the heart, to reason with the mind, these the
simpler and more primitive forms of life compel us to do, and in the doing of them we secure a more complete
development, round out our souls, enrich our lives.
Walter D. Dyer, in 'The Craftsman'.
THE NATURE OF SKILL