TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Press, Volume L, Issue 14900, 13 February 1914, Page 3

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES

AN INTERESTING FUNCTION

Tho distribution of prizes won during the past year at the Technical College was held in the College Hall last evening. Mr G. Scott, chairman of tho Board, presided, and had with him upon the platform his Worship the Mayor (Mr H. Holland), and Mr L. Bir'ks, assistant electrical engineer ot the dominion, each of whom gave addresses during the evening- -»r v - W. Russell, MP.. was also present.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The report of the chairman (Mr Scott) stated that the past year had been one of the mast eventful in the history of the College, as it had witnessed tho completion and opening ot the Girls' Training Hostel, the addition of a second storey to two of the workshops, the extinction of the debt on tho Board's property in Lnsor s Toa-d. and tho purchase, of an additional section required to complete tho block. Tho heavy" expenditure that the Board had had to faoo in connexion -with the oxtension of tho work and activities of the College had necessarily been a great tax upon ite resources, but he wae glad t-o say that the financial position of tho Board had nerer been sounder than it was to-day. They could face the future with confluence, even though that futuro presented graver difficulties than were ovorcomo in the past. The greatest that they had to face was the altogether inadequate size of the present main site. While the ideation Board had always done its best to meet the needs of technical education and had assisted the Board in every way possible, tho district required a primary school in this locality, and therefore tho whole of the present site could not bo available for technical education unless other arrangements were made for tho primary school. That there was a growing need for the extension of the present site was not open to question when it was remembered that tho Board had only the use of about 1} acres, the greater part of which was occupied by buildings, so that very little room was left a.s playing ground for the largo day school of nearly 400 boys and girls. They must also extend, he said, tho facilities offered for agricultural education. In a district like North Canterbury, so dependent upon success!ill farming* it. was very regrettable that they had not more than about thirty students in this department, and that they were not able to give them,a more complete training. One reform in tho education system of New Zealand was urgent. A previous Government had placed it in the power of local authorities to mako continuation education compulsory up to the age of 17 years. Such compulsory education was, of course, free but purely before any such dra-stie step as compulsory continuation education was given, tho experiment should be tried, of making Voluntary education free. The only conditions upon which free education should be granted were, .he thought, first, that the student was willing to undergo such n course- as was suitable for his employment or future career, and second, that he was prepared to pay a small money deposit as guarantee that he was in .earnest, such deposit to be forfeited only in case of gross negligence. He hoped tho present Government would see its way to introduce this most necessary reform, which would remove a sorioue obstacle in the path of a largo number of earnest young people. (Applause.) ■DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

The annual report of the director, Mr J. H. Howell, gave a complete review of tho year's activities,. The total roll number for 1912 was 1330. of which 343 wore pupils in tho day school, and 987 in the evening school and special classes." During the last session tho roll number reached the surprising figure of 1<473. of which 41-3 wero pupils in the day school and 1060 students in , the evening school and special classes.

During the year an important step was taken towards securing wider interest and co-operation on the part of employers and workers in tho trado classes, by the appointment of honorary visitors for each*such class. Two honorary visitors were appointed by each union of employers or workers for whose trado a class was in existence, the honorary visitors being aeked to visit the class from time to time and to make any suggestions with regard to tho improvement of tho equipment or instruction- that they may see fit. The ordinary public and, speaning generally, employers also, did not recognise, the monetary,- value of employees with disciplined minds, even if that discipline is-comparatively-limited. It was, he thought, urgent that facilities for iree education should bo given to all who wore prepared to avail themselves of them, quite irrespective of the-., fact whether they wished to prepare for an ofhce, a skiiltKl trade, or any form of useful occupation. As was well known, a great deal had been done in the United States by the enterprise of private firms to give special training to their employees, and no hoped during his visit- to obtain information that would be of importance as showing how far the value of such training was recognised by companies whose chief concern was not philanthropy but dividends. Ho was convinced that unless they were to resort to a system of compulsory continuation education during tho day-time, such as was adopted in some of the more progreseive German towns, they would make no great headway until the employers recognised that technical training avus of such monetary value that it would pay them to give their employees the facilities necessary to take full advantage of it.

THE MAYOR SrJiAKS. His Worship tho Mayor congratulated tho director upon his splendid report upon the paiit year, which had been a record-breaking year. It \va» a matter for congratulation that so many youii£ people devoted themselves to study and to qualifying "themselves for the future. Tho staff" had devoted itself to tho interests of the College, and their ivork was very much appreciated by the contributing bodies. Technical education had come to stay, and more and more use would have to be made of it if the city desired to tako a worthy place in the race for supremacy- Money, of course, was essential, and ho was pleased to say that never once had he heard the grant made- by the City Council to the Colleae challenged. No one could foretell or predict just how much value technical education had been in the community. Ni> one could afford to neglect this aspect of education. Referring to the importance of character. Mr Holland urped his hearers nerer to neglect the training of character. H was of more importance even than education, but the two should go hand"in hand. OTHER SPEAKERS.

Air T,. Birks spoke interestingly to the students of the College upon tbo ideals which obtained as a foundation for technical education. Many did not realise what -was the aim of their daily life, but back of everything there must'be an ideal. Xo life could be lived happily without an ideal, and yet many did not know what they were living for, beyond mere physical convenience. JJr G. W. Itussell, .M,f.. said he was very plexused to be able to congratulate the* whole institution upon the success which had attended the past year's effort. The work done there was the natural extension of the work done in the primary schools of Sew Zealand. Primary education was the most important basis of education, and all developments in the future would have to be in the direction of improving it and dovetailing it into the grades above. Tho prizes were then distributed to the winners. The names have already been published in the examination;; re-.