TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16309, 5 September 1918, Page 7

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

CONFERENCE OF DIRECTORS (PBESS association telkgkam.) WELLINGTON, September 4. At the conference of directors of technical schools, it was decided to recommend tho National Efficiency Board to urge tho Minister of Education to set up a committee of educationists to act with the Efficiency Board in an enquiry, tho object of which would be to recommend such changes in the whole educational system as might be deemed necessary. It was resolved that the Minister of Education be asked to institute a Dominion grading scheme, and a Dominion scale of salaries. It was decided that the Minister be urged to devise some method of preventing the present overlapping in the course of instruction provided in university colleges, seoondary schools, and technical schools. It wag resolved that advice should be offered to the Department as to a scheme whereby prospective secondary and technical school teachers would be ever urged, and enabled to take a course of training, pedagogical and technical. ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER. Tho Minister of Education, in addressing the Conference, said primary school teachers held strong views against early specialisation. They objected to differentiation before the age of 14 years, and in that respect wero in conflict with technical school teachers' views. Secondary school teachers were in conflict with both sets of teacherß. Regarding the syllabus, he had urged that the number of subjects should be reduced in order to get thoroughness, but the primary school teachers and the inspectors said the syllabus was satisfactory. So it was -with tho courses of instruction m the secondary schools and the university. His idea fvvas that it would be for the good off tho general education system if there were occasional meetings of university, secondary, and technical school teachers iji order that all should get a general idea of the system as a whole. Technical education"had not been in existence long in ' New Zealand, but conditions had been allowed to grow which called for review. He feared that we were not giving in tho technical schools enough attentiQn to workshop practice in the trade. classes. In some schools too much attention was given to theory and not enough to practical hand work. He was strongly impressed with the need for continued education, and he had been asked many times to give effect to certain proposals made, but lie was under the necessity of considering tho practical side of those proposals. If they were accepted, they could not be made operative. Some of the town schools would not hold the classes. The question of reorganisation in education likewise was not easy. The local controlling authorities had powers with which the Minister could not interfere without legislation. He had investigated the capitation matter, and, speaking frankly, he was far from satisfied. There oiust be some alteration. More money would have to be found for education, hut to provide for all the reforms demanded would require a sum which no Cabinet could think of voting. Ho did not consider that the salaries system for technical school teachers wa9 satisfactory. More supervision would have to be exercised over technical education, and an officer in charge would have to be appointed. He vras very anxious to see agricultural education developed. Trade classes for industrial training must have more attention at the technical schools.