At the origin of technical education: from private to public learning in the XVIII century. The options in Reims, Barcelona, and Maó
Antoni Roca-Rosell (Barcelona, 1951) graduated in Physics and obtained his doctorate on history of science. He has been lecturer at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – Barcelona Tech. He is corresponding member of the International Academy of History of Science and emeritus member of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Abstract
The role played by practical professions in the development of science and technology is now fully recognised. There were no formal schools until the XVII century; they adopted the present organisation during the XVIII and XIX centuries. Previously, the training of these professions was private and, often, directly at the workplace.
In this lecture, we would like to discuss some other experiences that played a certain role in their time and context without having a clear continuity. In 1748, in Reims, the municipality promoted a School of Arts that included a class of pure and mixed mathematics. In 1756, in Barcelona, the municipality gave support to an initiative of the local Society of Jesus for the set-up of a Public Chair of Mathematics. Also, with the objective to train artisans, around 1800 the painter Pasqual Calbó prepared a private course in the city of Maó, in Minorca. These were alternative options to configure the modern technicians.