EDUCATION NEEDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1936, Page 8

EDUCATION NEEDS.

VIEWS OF TEACHERS. MANY RECOMMENDATIONS. TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", Thursday. At the technical schools' conference, a committee set up to considci scuemes for education reorganisation with special reference to recommendations of the Atmore report, reported recommending that the conference should approve of the general principle that the primary course should terminate at eleven plus, or after passing Standard IV. If the children are then given the option of attending either a junior high school 01 a junior technical'school, such schools to form a department of a senior school, and to be under the control of a school board, and pending the adoption, of this system .that the children should be permitted to attend post-primary schools at the beginning of the year following their thirteenth birthdays. The committee also recommended. That the association should strongly support the school leaving age of 15; that the association should support the introduction into post-primary schools of sciences calculated to promote moie interest in the basic industries, and should endorse the view of the recess committee criticising the tendency for scholarship tests to be unduly loaded on the academic side; that the depaitment should be urged to investigate the question of providing training for trade, instructors with the view to securing a combination of teacher-training and trade experience, and that facilities should be provided for training technical school teachers in each of the foui centres; that the association considers conditions of university extrance examinations should not be such as to deter students of technical schools from pursuing degree or diploma umrses; that the system of vocational guidance should be extended and developed and that the Department should take control of the vocational guidance system. A standing committee is to be set up to keep the question of reorganisation under review and to meet in Wellington as required during the coming year. The following officers were elected: — President, Mr. L. R. R. Denny (Christchurch); vice-presidents, Mr. H. M. Scott (Auckland); Mr. R. G. Ridling (Wellington); secretary and treasurer, Mr. V. Evans (Wellington); auditor, Miss Copping; executive, Messrs-.- G. W. Drake (Auckland), G. A. Thompson (Wanganui), G. G. Hancox (l'almerston North), Miss li. A. Jackson (Wellington), Miss C. G. Robinson (Christchureh); representatives 011 Teachers' Appeal Hoard, Messrs. If. A. Jones (Auckland), G. M. Keys (Christchureh).