TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17428, 12 April 1922, Page 5

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

CURTAILMENT OF CLASSES. BEPLT TO PBOTESTS. The AsMmrton Technical School Board recently passed a number of resolutions of protest against the Education Department's decision to curtail certain classes at the sclicol, and these were forwjarded to the Minister (the Hon. C. J. Parr) through the Hon. W. Noswortby. Mr Parr haa replied to the writers as under:— Memorandum to Mr NosworthyWith' reference to the letter from the Ashburton Technical School Board regarding this Department's recent action in curtailing certain I enclose for your information a copy of my reply to the resolutions forwarded by the Ashburton Technical School Board. The statements of the Director of the Ashburton Technical School in .&" covering; letter to you hardly describe the position accurately. For example, country classes, even in such aubjects as dressmaking, millinery, and elementary woodwork for amateurs, will be recognised provided the Department is satisfied that work of real educational value is being done. It is inaccurate to say that the minimum bi«e of classes has been raised, as previously it was unnecessary lo prescribe in detail the minimum classes that would be recognised, since the payment of capitation on the attendance of pupils naturally fixed that minimum with sufficient nocuracy. The Department now pays saCnrics and incidental expenses directly, and the position is therefore entirely altered, so that it has become necessary to prescribe the minimum clashes which may be recognised. It is rather absurd to suggest that the possible closing of two or three classes in dressmaking and millinery in country centres will deprive the country of all its. educational advantages. The only classes cut out will be those which are attended mainly by adult amateur 6tudents, and to suggest that these adult amateurs will lose opportunities that can never be made up, and will be handicapped right through life by being less efficient producers and poorer citizens, is a simple absurdity. As regards compulsory attendance at evening classes, my Department's experenca suggests that so far as tiie technical school is an institution for providing technical education, its end is far e better achieved in those centres in which there is no coraputeoiy attendance at evening classes. The experience of Scotland in regard to this question points in the same direction, and compulsory evening classes weiie discontinued in that country some three or four years ngo. My Department has no fear that any sound part of the structure of post-primary education in the Ashburton County will be in any way imperilled by reason of the pruning which has become necessary, not only in the interests of economy, but a!6O in the interests of true technical education.

Minister to Director. "Writing to the Director of the Ashburton Technical College, Mr Parr says:— I acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo with reference to the Department's circular 1922-45. In reply I have to say that it is not the intention of the Department to refuse recognition of any class, of real educational value for which a sufficient demand exists in any locality. No technical class, i.e., no class in which trade pupils are given instructipn in the principles underlying their trade or profession or craft, is affected by the. circular referred to, nor does it apply to any class, or classes in whicji the majority of the students are. prepar?; ing for examinations- such as animations of the Pharmacy Beard, the City and Guilds of London Institute, the Plumbers' Board of New Zealand, etc.- .." '.

With reference to the points raised by the Director of the Ashburton Technical School, I have, to say that the discontinuance of evening classes for compulsory pupils is neither reactionary nor opposed to the most advanced modern educational policy. Compulsory evening classes for young persons under seventeen years of age" Were first established in Great Britain by the Education Authorities of Scotland, and after full trial were reported jon by His, Majesty's Inspectors of Schools as failing to secure the desired results, and were accordingly closed. New Zealand followed Scotland jn making provision whereby such classes might he established in any district, and the Auckland, Wanganui,' Hawke's Bay and Canterbury Boards have in certain districts availed themselves of the provisions of the 1910 Act. The Department's Inspectors of Technical Schools have formed opinions in regard to the value of these classes entirely in agreement with the conclusions reached by His Majesty's Inspectors in Scotland. The fact is that little advantage has been taken in aver ten years of the provision made for introducing compulsory attendance at evening classes, that not. one of the four main centres has introduced compulsion, and that, generally speaking, the '. attendance at evening classes where compulsion has been introduced, and the qual-' ity -of the work done, are not so good as in other places where there is no compulsion. It is clear that compulsory attendance at evening classes is not the solid basis on which an efficient system of technical education din be built up. In regard to the question of technical classes in country districts, iriy Department will recognise any such classes in which the- work is of real educational value and in which the numbers offering warrant continuance of the classes. The suggestion that the possible discontinuance of a few classes in dressmaking and.millinery, in,which adult students secure the co-operation of an expert in making clothes for themselves; would handicap New Zealand in its attempt to keep abreast pf progressive competing nations and would therefore be false economy is too far-fetched to need any refutation. I trust that further experience will satisfy the Ashburton Technical School Board that in following the example of the Scottish Educational Authorities in regard to compulsory evenincr* classes my Department has not been ill-advised.