李鸿章出任直隶总督后,经清廷批准,组建了北洋舰队。开始舰船不多,需要的人员有限,天津没有合适人选,便借才于福建。随着北洋舰队舰艇逐渐增多,人才紧缺,培养水师之事,成为当务之急。光绪六年七月十四日 (1880年8月18日),李鸿章上奏朝廷,提出用天津机器局的废地,建设水师学堂。参照西洋成规,拣派监督、教习,招考入堂,培养管理人才。经朝廷允准后,李鸿章于同年招严复从福建船政局调天津任天津水师学堂总教习。
        开始水师学堂的总办是吴赞诚,他一面勘定学堂地基,派员绘图估料兴建校舍; 一面酌定规条,招考学生。但是由于旧病复发,不能支持,由吴仲翔接任,吴仲翔长期充任福建船政提调,熟悉学堂业务,他在吴赞诚工作基础上,继续筹办,使水师学堂于光绪七年七月 (1881年8月),在河东贾家沽道落成。学堂创办伊始,拟订了详细而严格的章程,对招生的条件、办法、学期及分班、待遇、奖惩等,都做了具体规定,并招收学生肄业。清人撰《津门纪略》对学堂描述曰: “堂室宏敞,一百余椽;楼台掩映,花木参差。藏修游息之所,无一不备。另有观星台,学习天文者登高测量,可谓别开生面矣。”
        水师学堂开办一年之后,成效不很明显,学额未曾招满,招来的学生也少有出色之材。李鸿章又将原章程进行修改。主要修改了两点: 一是提高待遇,将原定学生月赡银由1两改为4两,这意味着一个学生的月赡银可以保证8口之家的生活; 二是加重奖赏,如果卓有成就,可以破格录用,等等。
        章程修改后,学堂面貌改观,愿意入学者增多,学生总数由原定60人增至120人。学堂的课程有: 英语、地域图说、算学、几何、代数、重学、化学等。学制5年,考试制度严格。
        光绪十九年(1893),水师学堂学制改为7年,即课堂课程4年,船课3年,实践的比重加大,学生的书本知识和实践能力都得到提高。水师学堂不仅给北洋水师培养了许多军事人才,而且首开了中国北方近代教育之先。
        光绪二十六年(1900),八国联军入侵天津,天津北洋机器总局成为战场,水师学堂连同所在的北洋机器总局,均毁于战火。

        

·天津水师学堂学员

        When Li Hongzhang was assigned as the Governor-General of Zhili,he set up the Beiyang Fleet with theapproval from the Qing Government. At the beginning,personnel were hired from Fujian Province when therewere a few warships in Tianjin. With the number ofwarships growing,the fleet was in great need of talents.The cultivation of personnel became urgent. On August18,1880 (the sixth year of Emperor Guangxu),Liapplied the court to build a navy school. According to theWestern experiences,supervisors and tutors were hiredand the students were enrolled through examinations. Inthe same year,Li invited Yan Fu from Fujian ShippingBureau to Tianjin Navy School as the dean.
        At first,Wu Zancheng was responsible for theschool`s construction. On the one hand,he surveyedthe ground and hired architects to draw blueprints andprepared materials. On the other hand,he set downrules and began to enroll students. It was unfortunatethat he had to stop working because of illness. WuZhongxiang,his successor,continued his career. Wu wasthe commander of Fujian Shipping Bureau for a longtime and was adept at school management. In August (the7th year of Emperor Guangxu),Tianjin Navy Schoolcommenced operation at Jiajiagu Street in HedongDistrict. Detailed and strict rules and regulation of theschool were drawn on student enrollment,terms,classdivisions,welfare,award and punishment. Scholars atthat time described that the school was "spacious withabout 100 rooms decorated by villains,flowers and trees.The library and entertainment places are also wonderful.There is even a platform for those who are interested inchronometer to observe stars."
        However one year after its establishment,theschool`s situation was not optimistic due to poorenrollment. Governor-General Li Hongzhang revisedthe school`s rules: Ⅰ. Toincrease the subsidy ofeach student from 1 taelto 4 taels per month.This measure ensuresone student to supportthe living of an eight-person family; Ⅱ. Togive excellent studentsheavy awards in order tohonor their outstandingachievements.
        After the reform,thesituation of the schoolgot changed. The numberof enrolled studentsgrew from 60 to 120.Its curriculum includedEnglish,geography,arithmetic,geometry,algebra,physics,andchemistry and so on. Thetime of schooling was five years with a series of strictexamination system.
        In 1893,the schooling period extended to sevenyears: 4 years` class education and 3 years` practice onthe ships. With the increase of field practice,the studentsreceived more knowledge and skills. The TianjinBeiyang Navy School cultivated many military talentsfor Beiyang Navy,which was the milestone of moderneducation in North China.
        In 1900,the Allied Forces of Eight ImperialistCountries invaded Tianjin. The site of Tianjin MachineryBureau became a battle field and the Tianjin NavySchool was destroyed in the gunfire.

        

·清代《津门杂记》所载水师学堂