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!

“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