An educational institution offering practical and technical training; relating to instruction in many crafts or technical subjects.
From Greek 'poly-' (many) and 'technikos' (of craft/art). The term became popular in 19th-century Europe for schools emphasizing practical skills over pure academic theory.
The polytechnic movement was explicitly designed to democratize education by making it practical and job-focused rather than elite—yet today's obsession with STEM education echoes exactly this 200-year-old debate about whether schools should prepare workers or intellectuals.
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