WORLD PROBLEMS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 56, 16 December 1941, Page 3

WORLD PROBLEMS

BELIEF IN THEIR SOLUTION.

THROUGH TECHNICAL TRAINING.

ADDRESS BY MR ANDREWS. The belief that technical training would do more to reach the solution of world problems that led to international strife than many other means of approach was the theme of an address given at the Ashburton Technical High School break-up ceremony last evening. The speaker was Mr E. H. Andrews (Mayor of Christchurch), a former resident of Ashburton.

In his jearly days, Mr Andrews said, technical education was practically unknown, and education was confined to the three R’s, which was the system in those days. It seemed, in the light of the present day, to be very deficient, but it bad produced many very able men and women, many able administrators. He was old-fashioned enough to feel that our system of education, at least as far as the primary schoms were concerned, bad deteriorated an.J was'not turning out boys and girls adequately fitted to face the modern world.

He believed the technical schools and colleges would provide the men and women to find the solution of our world-wide problems. ft was a work that should bo under .close study now. After the last war many schemes to help returned men were a ghastly failure because they did not train the men to a means of livelihood. The men were duipped into new vocations without any technical training. The greater number of the failures were attributed to this lack of training. The Government should use the technical schools to give training in all sorts of trades, and should not leave it till it was too late. The returned men had been proved to be adaptable people, and to deal with them the Government should take up the new wide field that was opening up. Rehabilitation Problem. Mr Andrews referred to tfie Rehabilitation Council and the Rehabilitation Board, and the functions of each. They were useful as far as they went, but they met only part of the situation, he said. 'There was power to set up local advistory committees, but there was no guarantee that their advice would be taken. The speaker went on to show how men who returned after the loss of limbs could he placed iiv particular industries, and said that the technical schools could do wonderful work in preparing the men for these particular jobs. Of course, it was better for returned men to take up the type of work they were accustomed to before they wont to the war, and not to try anything now. They should he given free training in the schools so that they could lit themselves to get hack into industry again.. The agricultural colleges could do a great deal in this way, and the special apprenticeship system could bo employed to great advantage. Industry depended on the technical schools and on the agricultural colleges, and the admission of returned men on free places should be pressed for by those in a position to do so. So far, returned men had been told to apply to the State Placement officers for assistance in getting bade- to civic work, but Hint was not enough. After the last war, the Christchurch Technical College trained 1200 returned men, : who set a wonderful example in their determination to make good. The a Iterwar training of men back from the war would cost a huge sum, but money

spent in that fashion would be well repaid. He urged the pupils to work hard alid learn all they could. Competition was growing keener all the time, and the one who had prepared himself was the orie who would help the country most. The colossal crime of war called to everyone to do all that they could, so that in the happier days to come they would be able to dip into Ihe storehouse that should be built up so that the troublous times of the present should never return to the world. As they went out into the world they should try to avoid the misakes of the past;•there was no failure except from within. He hoped that lasting peace would come soon so that the present ■ pupils would be able to live their lives as they should be lived. The country needed men and women of the highest quality to work for God, for King and for country. The thanks of the school for the address were expressed by the head prefect, M. Brennan, who also thanked Mr Andrews for coming to Ashburton at what must have been a great deal of inconvenience in these difficult times.