Science and Art Department

TheScience and Art Departmentwas aBritish governmentbody which functioned from 1853 to 1899, promoting education in art, science, technology, and design inBritainandIreland.

Background

The Science and Art Department was created as a subdivision of theBoard of Tradein 1853, expanding the existingDepartment of Practical Art.Its first superintendent wasHenry Cole,and it supported not just science but also "practical arts" – i.e.technologyanddesign.The department benefited substantially from theGreat Exhibitionof 1851, part of the profits of which were distributed by theCommissioners of the Great Exhibitionfor educational purposes. That donation funded a large site inSouth Kensingtonaccommodating the Science and Art Department, theSouth Kensington Museum,and other bodies. In 1856 the Science and Art Department was absorbed by a newEducation Department,but retained considerable autonomy in promoting artistic and scientific higher education, especially for teacher training.

The Science and Art Department took over theGovernment School of Design,founded in 1837, which became theNational Art Training Schoolin 1853, and finally in 1896the Royal College of Art,under which name it still flourishes. It developed what became known as theSouth Kensington systemin art education. The headmaster until 1875 wasRichard Burchett.On the science side it ran classes in South Kensington in the 1870s, which led directly to the formation of theNormal School of Science,a constituent college ofImperial College London.From 1859 the Science and Art Department had offered examinations for prospective science teachers, and promoted evening classes in science across Britain. From 1872 the Science and Art Department began offering scientific higher education directly through evening classes at the South Kensington site. In 1880 these classes acquired formal recognition as the Normal School of Science.

During the 1880s a number ofroyal commissionsconsidered the question of technical education, and their recommendations led to an increasing role in scientific training for other branches of government. The increased attention paid to education led to the formation of theBoard of Educationin 1899, into which the Science and Art Department was fully integrated.

See also

• West London School of Art

External links

• History of Technical Education, UK National Archives