Discipleship

Apprenticeship - training for a profession under the guidance of a master in the process of production activity.

Baker and his apprentice in medieval England

The artisan’s training in the craft of the son of another person by agreement has existed since antiquity. This was explained by the fact that not all masters had their own sons, to whom they could pass on their accumulated knowledge.

In the Middle Ages, apprenticeship gradually became a necessary stage and a general rule for everyone who later wanted to freely engage in craft. Until the period of apprenticeship was regulated by the charters of the workshops , he depended on the master. In medieval London, tailors took pupils for 7-14 years, jewelers for 9-14 years, masters of the guild of cakes and fish merchants for 10-12 years ^[1] .

Many workshops limited the masters in the number of students. The reason for this was the desire to prevent the over-enrichment of some masters and the ruin of others, as well as the need for the master to have sufficient funds to support the student.

The shop charters stipulated that no master could take a student bound by an agreement with another master until his obligations expired or the master himself granted the student written permission to transfer to another master.

Until 1375, in England, a student could be sold or donated, like all other property of the master. But, since 1375, according to the decree of the parliament, not a single student was supposed to serve the master, other than the one to whom he initially entered into the students, without his will.

Most English historians believe that the student was regarded as a member of the master’s family, whose power by nature always had a paternal character. Like his father, the master had the right to apply corporal punishment to the student. The contracts between the master and the student sometimes stipulated that the student can only be punished for the cause, and not otherwise. The student did not have the right to marry without the prior permission of the master. Often the student married the daughter of the master ^[1] .

From the beginning of the 19th century, apprenticeship in England was placed under the supervision of justices of the peace . For misconduct of students punishments were imposed, reaching up to 3 months. imprisonment (for escaping); in turn, the master could be imprisoned up to 3 years for ill-treatment, which threatens the life of the student ^[2] .

In the Russian Empire, the Charter on workshops, published on November 12, 1799, established certain privileges for masters "who distinguished themselves in their art and taught many students" and threatened with the deprivation of the title of master for "sloppy training." A six-month trial period was set for both contracting parties, during which the apprenticeship agreement could be terminated. The shop council was given the right to punish students with rods . The minimum age for returning to law was twelve years, but often the age of the students was less. Laws prohibiting parents from giving their children in private for personal rent without their consent made an exception to the education contract for a certain period of time (Art. 173, 2203 X t. 1 h), moreover, as the Senate explained (decision of the civil cassation Department of 1899, No. 2), this period may end even after the student reaches the age of 17. If the children did not fulfill the contract concluded by their parents, then for the impossibility of forcing them to execute it, the parents had to reward the craftsmen for the losses incurred (dec. Gr. Cash register dpt. 1878, No. 86, 1899, No. 2). The training period ranged from 3 to 5 years, but this time can be shortened at the discretion of the foreman of the workshop or elders' comrades. After the student’s three-year stay with the master, the latter was obliged to issue him a testimony, “which he deserved by fidelity, obedience, respect, diligence, art and behavior” ^[2] .

In 1910, the Charter on the craft industry was adopted, according to which “the master is obliged to teach his students diligently, treat them in a philanthropic and gentle way, not punish them without guilt and take up science for a long time, without forcing them to do his homework and work” . The duties of the students included "to be faithful, obedient, respectful to the master and his family, to keep home silence and consent with good deeds and behavior, to be diligent." The contract could be terminated “if the student left the lesson and chooses another craft; if must relocate to another locality; if parents require care. ” If the students passed the exam under the craft management, they were given a first-degree diploma for the first degree, or, according to the master, a second-degree diploma ^[3] .

Currently, the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides for the possibility of concluding a student agreement , which may include an obligation to work a certain time after completion of training. Organizational forms of apprenticeship are provided, such as individual training, team training, and course training ^[4] .

Chimney sweep student in modern Germany

The workplace apprenticeship system currently exists in various countries. So, in the UK there are 2-3-year student programs in which three weeks of training at the workplace alternate with a week of theoretical courses at an educational institution. The highest youth enrollment in youth in Europe is observed in Germany ^[5] . Industrial training in Germany takes place within the framework of the “dual system”, that is, in parallel at the workplace and in the vocational school, where they also study general subjects. The term of study is from three to three and a half years. The program is completed by compulsory courses at vocational training centers. After graduation, students pass the exam for the title of apprentice ^{[6] [7]} .