De ijkersopleiding in Delft (1843-1963)

Abstract

The education of inspector of weights and measures at the Delft School of Engineering (1843- 1963) The Kingdom of the United Netherlands was the first state in the world which introduced the Metric System in 1820 through the 1816 Act of weights and measures. At first education for the weights and measures inspectors was not available. After King William II founded the Royal Academy engineering school in Delft in 1842, the school's first director, Antoine Lipkens, who took an interest in weights and measures himself, seized the opportunity to establish a course for inspectors of weights and measures in his school. In this two-year course students were trained to become the highest officials in the national Service of Weights and Measures. The programme was of high quality and continuously adapted to the current state of technology and to the various weights and measures Acts. The weights and measures inspectors were qualified and all-round experts. Nevertheless, after the Second World War their work became so complex that specialists from different fields in technical colleges and universities took over their tasks. The occupation of inspector of weights and measures became redundant. Attempts to create a university level education for the inspectors failed. In 1963 the Delft engineering school closed the doors to this programme, which was the end of a unique type of education for a unique occupation. 79