FEMALE SHORTHAND WRITERS' AND TYPISTES' EXAMINATION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15120, 9 November 1914, Page 5

FEMALE SHORTHAND WRITERS' AND TYPISTES' EXAMINATION.

TO THE EDITOR OT "TH* m_SS. ' Sir—ln your issue of Saturday it was Reported that the Technical College Board of Governors decided to approach the Public Service Commissionere, on the suggestion of Mr Opie,.requesting them'to make general knowledge -a subject for the above examination. Such a decision only goes to show the widespread ignorance tli.it prevails concerning tho teaching ot shorthand and typewriting.. All a ong the attitude of the Technical College authorities in Christchurch has been to disparage these two important commercial subjects. Some time ago the Director of tho Christchurch Technical College himself publicly asserted that typewriting consisted merely m the tapping of a few keys, and that the teaching of this subject did not require, on the part of the teacher, any special training. ' . . The fallacy of this contention has been eloquently demonstrated by the excessive number of failures of short-hand-tvpistes at the Public Service examinations held in various centres throughout New Zealand. In some or the largo centres, other than Christchurch. it will be remembered that not a single candidate succeeded in passing the very ordinary test that is required bv'the' Public Service Commissioners. As long as the educational authorities of New Zealand are content to allow these twin arts, shorthand and typewriting, to he dealt with in the very perfunctory maimer in which they are now handled, I cannot say taught, so long will they experience these extremely "unsatisfactory and disappointing results; for, without tho possession of a sound knowledge of English grammar, composition, spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, etc., the shorthandtypiste cannot make an accurate transcript of her notes. From this it will be seen that the ability to write shorthand and transcribe it accurately presupposes the possession not only of the mechanical skill which enables the keys to be tapped, but also of general knowledge, and what- is commonly called "nous." The operator who does not possess a 60und general knowledge can never become a proficient shorthandtypiste. —Yours, etc., G. HILDA GILBY, 8.A., I.P.S. Hous. November 7th.