The Ashburton Technical Classes.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 5697, 28 June 1902, Page 2

The Ashburton Technical Classes.

A day or so since a representative of this : paper visited the workroom of the Ashburton woodwork classes, which are m Tancred Street, at the rear of Mr Joshua Tucker's yard. The Borough School class was then engaged under the instructor, Mr F, W. Sandford, and a visitor could not fail to r be struck with the keen attention and the I ! busy appearance of the lads at work. Mr i 0, D. Hardie, the headmaster of the Borough School, was present, and it may be mentioned that Mr Sandford attributes some of the success of the Ashburton technical classes to the interest shown m them by the teachers, who, m most cases attend with their boys. This is by no means the rule however, elsewhere. There were twenty boys present at the time of our representative's visit, and they were all apparently employed on the same kind of work, the pupils having fortunately been regular m their attendance, have all kept ud with the course of lessons. After preliminary instruction m the use of the tools, the lessons are graduated something on the lines of the drawing lessons given m the public schools, so that they really form a practical adaption of the principles of elementary drawing to actual work. Indeed, the present woodwork classes are primarily for school boys, and represent the best that can be done so far, towards the ideal scheme of training hands as well as heads. Their value lies m tho fact that the pupil makes a drawing from specifications given, and the correctness of this head-work is tested by the embodiment of his idea m wood. Added, of course, to the abstract training involved, there is the utilitarian value of a knowledge of the common tools. Some of the pupils shew considerable talent even m these preliminary stages of their training, and it will not be difficult presently to pick from amongst them those who are likely to become first class workmen, should they hereafter desire to take up a trade. This indicates that one result of the technical classes should be to prevent, m a great measure, the evil of youths being driven into occupations for which they have no inclination, and m which they are not likely to succeed. The classes already established m Ashburton are confined to one branch of mechanical art, but it is possible that m the near future, other branches may be included m the syllabus of the local school. Mr Sandford expressed himself much pleased with the progress made by his Ashburton pupils as a whole, and to judge from the samples of work seen by our representative, there are good grounds for his satisfaction. He stated that while there was no chance of the technical classes throughout the colony interfering with the labour question, the training they gave would be of the greatest value to youths entering themselves as apprentices to any of the trades; and it may be assumed that this fact has influenced the trade unionists to lend a strong support to the technical education classes m the cities of New Zealand, which Mr Sandford says is the case m Canterbury, ipart from this aspect of the matter, there is the self evident fact that the farmers are likely to benefit from the work of these classes more than any other section of the community. For every resident m the country knows that much valuable time is often lost when a trifling accident throws out of gear any of the many implements used by the farmers; and sometimes work has to be stopped, and a machine has to be sent to the nearest town because something has gone wrong that a workman could adjust m five minutes. The farmers, therefore, are especially interested m technical education being carried on m the country districts. All the local bodies m this county should certainly give every encouragement to the efforts of the Ashburfcon Technical Schools' Committee, to carry on the classes already established, and they would certainly be consulting their own interests by assisting to widen the scope of the Committee's operations, so that classes for iron working, and others as well, may also be formed m this district. Mr Sandford—whose excellent manner of defiling with his pupils strikes every visitor at once—has arranged his classes as follows t—On Wednesday, at 3.30 p.m, a class of twenty Tinwald and Borough School boys, begins; and there is one at 7.30 p.m., attended by eighteen adults. On Thursday at 8.30 a.m,, there is a class attended by twenty Borough School boys j at 1.30 p.m., one of twenty High School boys ; and at 8.30 a class of twenty Hampstead School boys. In all there are five classes, the total attendance being 98. The history of the movement to establish a technical class m Ashburton is interesting. The first attempt was made about four years ago, when, through the agency of Messrs W. J. Silcock and W. Brock, cooking classes were carried on m the Borough School, and these were subsidised by the Government. But want of support caused them to be abandoned after a time. The present Association was formed at a meeting callod by Rev. Woodthorpe and MrJ. S. Tennant, on Jnly 2nd, 1900, where Messrs Woodthorpe, Brock, Cawsey, Hiskins, Ferriman, Salmond, Miss Jones, Chas. Reid, Hugo Friedlander, D. Thomas, Hardie, and Tennant were appointed a Committee. The constitution of the Dunedin School was adopted, Jand a comprehensive programme was drawn out, and work begun on August 22nd, 1900. The first term was finished at the end of October, and the Committee were able to report an attendance of 101, and a balance of £1 4s 4d, A claim for the Government grant was immediately sent m, but it was not till September, 1901, that a sum of £3 7s 6d was wrung from a reluctant Treasury. This delay practically killed the majority of the classes, as the teaching has been for the first year voluntary, but the Association did not feel justified m asking teachers to continue classes for which they could expect no payment whatever. Three olasses, however, were kept on—typing, book-keeping, and drawing. In October, 1901, the Committee invited representatives from all the local bodies to meet them, and it was de-; cided that to obtain the maxiniutu grant the North Canterbury Education Board be asked tq take over the work of the classes. This, tha Education Board agreed to do, and the following gentlemen are now simply a local advisory committee :— His Worship the Mayor (chairman) and representing the Borough Council), Messrs H. Friedlander, County Council; Andrew Orr, High School Board; Win Grajgfyead, Ejorough School Committee ; Chas Reid, A and B Association ; W- Brock, Hampstead ; 0. D. Ifardie,, Teachers' Institute ; J. S, Tennan,^, HorL Secretary. A grant of AIQ having been obtained from th© Government tools and benches were purchased, and the present woodwork classes started last April, under Mr Sandford. The Committee's claim for a grant to erect a building of their own was rejected by the Education Board, on the ground of want of friends, hence advantage has not as yet been taken of the Borough Council's offer of a site at a nominal rent. The original scheme of work embraced a three-fold course. Literary—For clerks or others who wished to improve themselves oy sit for public examinations: op.nim.cir.gtal i $e.fihnic.ai-—Fc»: yctu.ug artisans woo might fcisjv f» sit for, the 'City andt Guilds of tiotidori examinations. Lack "of support by students killed the first,- lack of funds killed the last. The Committee's ideal is a building on the lines of the Dnnedin School, where continuation classes may be held for the ordinary student, where such manual and technical classes as drawing, woodwork, cookery, laundry work, chemistry, and elementary electricity may be carried on. The prospects are marred by the fact $ia.t tfye largeie centres are managing to appropriate the big grants, and the fact that the Manual and Technical Act, 1900, is mainly theoretical and sentimental, and so far from practical as to suggest the idea that its promoters wished $o gain the kudos of a piighty liberal Act without tjeing'paUgd/OM top»y£h.e»'iirgej», . '-" " ':- • ":; This notice would not be complete without reference to the teachers* classes for nmmxal instruction which have been carried ?on for several months m the Borough School on Saturdays under Mrs Willis, head mistress of the Ashburton Borough School, and Miss Granj;, head, mistress o£ the $S[est Christchurch School." ' These: (brasses h'ayeTaeen arranged by ihe Governpieni; m view of the Manual and Technical

Instruction Act of 1900, so that teachers may be enabled to train the eyes and hands of the pupils from the very earliest period of their school life, and lead them up to the more advanced work of the classes specially devoted to technical instruction.