The process of establishing a technical school can be divided into three stages: planning, formal declaration and concrete implementation.
1February 26th, 898 (that is, the 24th year of Guangxu reign), Zhang Zhidong put forward the idea of establishing a craft school in the article Zawei Zhang Hongshun et al.: "Everything related to craft is particularly conservative, so it can't be made by new methods, which will lead to the flood of interests and people's livelihood. Therefore, it is urgent to establish agricultural and handicraft schools, adopt western methods, and stress strength. " In addition, the technical school is temporarily located in the Foreign Affairs Bureau of Zheng Tie, and has hired two oriental teachers: one to teach physical chemistry and the other to teach mechanism. It can recruit two students and craftsmen to help students in the same class, focusing on manufacturing matters. There is an urgent need to appoint a big official to supervise the manager in order to achieve practical results. ""The headquarters hall found out that Zhang Hongshun, Hunan's alternate road, could be the general manager of the Committee, supplemented by money from provincial magistrates, and Liang Dunyan, the magistrate-in-waiting, sent him as an interpreter to take care of the Committee members. ""We will also set up schools and factories in the Railway Administration and Foreign Affairs Bureau, and discuss the regulations of each school in detail, waiting to be implemented. "At this time, in the first stage, Zhang Zhidong put forward the basic guiding opinions on the purpose of running a school and educational administration.
1898, 16 in March (that is, in the 24th year of Guangxu), Zhang Zhidong formally presented to the court the book "Setting up Agricultural Craft Schools to Induce Workers and Businessmen to Do Business": "The Westernization Bureau set up a craft school, and selected two Japanese engineering instructors, one to teach theoretical chemistry and the other to teach machine science, so as to recruit gentry and businessmen interested in business to attend classes. "This is the second stage, and Emperor Guangxu authorized the establishment of a craft school.
1March, 898 16 (in the 24th year of Guangxu), Zhang Zhidong gave specific instructions on the preparatory work in the article "Zayali Bureau and Good Post Office Allocate Annual Funds to Farming Art School": "Check Farming Art School, build lecture halls, install utensils, and pay for staff, translators, salaried workers and farmers. On September 24th, 1898, Liang Dunyan, serving member of Hubei Technical School and candidate of Zhili county magistrate, reported on the basic situation of the school's preparation: "Ten technical courses will be offered, and each school will have a skilled craftsman and several apprentices", "FAW Machine, two lathes, three sand turning, four wire drawing, five wood making and six. In the first and second years, apprentices must specialize in one subject. In the third year, I also taught all the fine arts in the school. "At the same time, he hired more than 30 craftsmen, teachers, handyman, etc. And put forward the requirement of "actually selling and paying 22 thousand silver in the future and producing newspapers on a monthly basis". Zhang Zhidong replied, "Let's compromise and stick to the plan." It can be seen that Zhang Zhidong is satisfied with the preparatory work of the craft school, and clearly requires that artists be recruited quickly to start school: "Even if Yang Craft School follows the principle of recruiting students quickly to start school, as long as craftsmen arrive in Hubei, they will discuss in detail what kind of musical instruments to buy for each craft. Please approve the purchase. The sericulture bureau and craft bureau run by Cao Dao have been merged into the agricultural craft bureau, so the demand for craft schools should be allocated 2200 yuan as the start-up fee under the sericulture craft bureau. In addition to the compliance of the dental office, the school will send staff to withdraw the application, and also verify the rules and regulations to avoid making monthly reports. ....., even if you hurry out of two thousand pieces of silver, don't violate it. "According to Zhang Zhidong's request, only two months later, that is,1898165438+10/0, the school's enrollment advertisement" Provisions on the Notice of Zhafa Recruiting Technical Students "was officially released:" Based on the fact that the headquarters is located in the armed forces, self-improvement and self-improvement, I also choose subjects, physics and chemistry, calculation, painting and other courses to familiarize students with various technological methods and explore the legislative origin of machine manufacturing. After three years of study, I have learned the truth, regained its use and bypassed the manufacture of more than ten doors. The foundation is established, and people over middle age can work hard at any time, and they can also create a sense of freshness ... We hereby recruit smart children of gentry and businessmen who have read four books and are over 0/2 years old in all provinces of China. Except for raw food, books, paper and pens prepared by the school, there will be no fire. ..... that is, 1 1 month, go to the Science and Technology Bureau to register, wait for your choice, start school regularly, and don't wait and see. Stop. "This is the third stage, and the funds, courses, academic system, teachers and enrollment involved have been implemented.
Regarding the location of the school, it is recorded in the articles of association of "Zhafa Recruiting Craftsmen": "According to the photos, the old sericulture bureau has been selected and changed to a craft school". By comparing the street maps inside and outside Hubei provincial capital published by Hubei Rehabilitation General Administration in Guangxu nine years, it can be determined that the school address is in the area of Wuhan Third Hospital on Pengliuyang Road today.
From the above information, we can know that the exact time when Zhang Zhidong founded the technical school should be1February, 898. After nearly a year's preparation, the first batch of students officially entered the school at the end of 1898, with a grading of 60 students, a three-year academic system and more than 30 faculty members.