CHOICE OF WORK.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20567, 8 June 1932, Page 6

CHOICE OF WORK.

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN. REPORT OF SUB-COMMITTEE. A report on vocational guidance for children who are attending school, or who have loft school, was presented to the Standing Committoo on Education on Monday evening, by the special sub-eommitteo charged with tho duty of investigating this subject. The text of the report, which is signed for the Committee by Dr. C. E. Eeeby, lecturer in psychology at Canterbury College, is as follows:—

Although the sub-committee on vocational guidanco was given no definito order of reference, we considerod that Its chief task was to discover iu what ways the Standing Committee on Education could best assist in the work of vocational guidance in the Canterbury Education District. We also believe that nothing was to be gained by duplicating functions already satisfactorily performed by other bodies. Our report, therefore, falls naturally under the following headings: (1) A statement of the general purpose of vocational guidance and of the various functions involved in any complete guidance scheme. (2) A survey of tho work already being done in Canterbury in connexion with vocational guidance. (3) A statemont of the work yet to bo done, and suggestions as to which of these remaining functions could be best performed by tho Standing Committee on Education, in view of its peculiarly representative character. • (4) A consideration of certain detailed methods to be employed. Purpose of Vocational Guidance. A general purpose: That every child shall, in so far as tho economic situation permits, get into the occupation that gives the fullest possible outlet for his powers, mental, physical, and temperamental. < It is, perhaps, necessary to noto that "guidance" proper involves nothing more than advising children. No mechanical system of "pigeon-holing" is contemplated. . Tho same general problem may be approached from tho point of view of the employer with a vacancy to fill from a group of applicants of varying abilities. This approach is known as vocational selection. The ultimate purpose of both guidance and selection should bo tho same, and teachers should liavo a definite contribution to make to both.

B. Special functions involved: The general purposo of vocational guidance involves tho performance of tlio following special functions: (1) An analysis of the mental, physical, and temperamental qualities demanded by the more important types of occupation. (2) A study of each child's abilities, character, qualities, and interests, and the advising of parent and child con corning the types of occupation for which these qualities seem to fit him best.

(3) The instruction of the child in the nature of the work involved in several typical occupations, in order to provide a rational basis for choice. (4) The guiding of the child into the type of education providing the best preparation for the occupation chosen. (5) An employment bureau which attempts to find positions for children on* the basis of tho above. Such a bureau may or may not be an integral part of the guidance scheme, but under no circumstances should it bo conceived of as constituting tho wliolo of vocational guidance. Work Already Being Done in Canterbury. (1) The Y.M.C.A. has, for tomo yectrs, been running a boys' employment bureau. As an emergency measure, various people are now conducting at the Y.M.C.A. classes for unemployed boys in salesmanship, offico management, music, and play production. Similar vocational and cultural classes have been started at the Y.W.C.A. (2) The Chamber of Commerce Boys' Employment Committeo is cooperating with the Y.M.C.A. in the business of finding positions for boys, as arc also the Manufacturers' Association and the Employers' Association. (3) The Cliristchurch Technical College has a vocational guidance master, who is also in charge of the Y.M-.C.A. employment bureau. Vocational classes are provided at the College for unemployed boys. £4) The Education Department is doing no vocational guidance at present, beyond allowing two teachers in New Zealand a limited amount of free time to do vocational advising. The Labour Department has a boys' employment bureau, -which is, however, not functioning. Subsidies of 5s per week are granted to boys employed by farmers under a special scheme. (5) The Federation of TJniversity Women have organised lectures on typical vocations to girls leaving secondary schools.

(6) The Psychological Laboratory of Canterbury University College runs a vocational guidance clinit for the testing and advising of children referred by parents, head-teachers, welfare officers, Children's Courts, and others. Some attempt has also been made to analyse the qualities demanded by \-arious occupations. As the testing of a child takes a considerable time, the activities of this clinic are restricted in view of its present limited staff. In connexion with the same institution, a School Leaving Committee, consisting of _ educationists and representative business men, has been meeting every Wednesday night to advise boys leaving secondary schools as to the qualities and preparation needed for, and the opportunities offered by, various occupations. It would appear, then, that the business of actually finding positions for boys is being carried on as adequately as is possible under the-present difficult economic conditions by the Y.M.C.A., the Chamber of Commerce, and others! The advising of children on the basis of psychological and educational tests is provided for by the Psychological Laboratory in a limited number of cases, more or less privately submitted. The same institution is also analysing the mental and physical demands of various occupations. Vocational information is being provided somewhat spasmodically by different bodies.

Work Yet to be Done. We are of the opinion that; tho Hollowing aspects of the work arc still in urgent need of attention, and that the Standing Committee on Education is particularly well suited to undertake them:— _ (1) A further analysis of tho qualities needed for the more important types of occupation. This work might be undertaken in conjunction with the Psychological Laboratory and bodies of employers. ( (2) The arranging of lectures, excursions, pamphlets, etc., to make teachers and children familiar with the conditions of work in typical occupations. With this might be combined an extension of the School Leaving Committee already tried at Canterbury College to

give vocational advice to children leaving school. Educational Guidance. (3) Tho collection of information for teachers and vocational advisers concorning: (a) Tho entrance qualifications for various occupations, including the school subjects needed and tho examinations to bo passed: the conditions of apprenticeship. (N.B. Some of this is already contained in a pamphlet "Careers" published by the Education Department, and in a booklet published by the Y.M.C.A. Neither is any longer being published.) (b) Tho courses available at each secondary or technical school and at the University. Something less formal than a mero prospectus is needed. It is suggested that a list of typical courses taken, together with an account of cost of foes, books, and incidentals might bo more useful.

(c) Tho vocational guidance facilities available with other organisations such as the Y.M.C.A. and tho Psychological Laboratory. (4) The estimation, with the help of employers, of the probable demand for labour in different occupations iii Canterbury in the near future. Suggestions 1 to 4 may be summarised by saying that the Standing Committee on Education should be a central clearing-house for information ou vocational and educational guidance matters, with special reference to local conditions. It should also be responsible for the dissemination of that information to teachers, parents, and children. (5) The study, to a much wider extont than at present, of the abilities, interests, and character qualities of individual children with a view to giving them vocational advice. The Psychological Laboratory by itself is not organised to deal with very large numbers in this way. Nor is any wido extension of psychological testing methods to large groups of children suggested under present circumstances. But many teachers, even now, make some rough informal analysis of their children's qualities and give vocational advice on the basis of it. Wo think that such analyses might be made more accurate, and might be expressed in a form that would be of uso not only to tho child but also to prospective employers. Quo aspect of this is treated of moro fully in Section 4.

A Personal Report. Enquiries from representative bodies of business men went to show that little or no use is made of any form of school record in the selection of boys for positions. For all practical purposes, the information gained about a child's mental and physical qualities during his eight to twelve years of schooling is thrown away when he leaves school. In our opinion this information should be of the greatest value to vocational advisers, to employers, and to other educational institutions to -which the child is transferred. After discussing the.matter with emjjloyers wc ate of the opinion that the main reason for the neglect of this information is that it is not given in a form that is easily intelligible to the average business man. Wo have, therefore, devised a tentative "Personal Eecord" form, which might, after revision by both teachers and employers, prove of use in this connexion. It seems to us that the Standing Committee on Education is an ideal body to fix, in collaboration with employers, the final form of such a lleeord, and to introduce it into the educational and business worlds.