BOYS LEAVING SCHOOL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21866, 20 August 1936, Page 8

BOYS LEAVING SCHOOL

TO- THE EDITOR OTt THE PRESS. Sir, —The reply made by the Minister for Labour to the Boys’ Employment Committee is neither convincing nor justified by the evidence. Why? Here are two points for your readers’ consideration. • , First, the fullest possible education for all. with extension of leaving age, if necessary, has always been one of the chief planks in the Labour party’s platform! What is the position at present? Boys must forgo valuable years of schooling in order to avoid the insecurity and unemployment which is concentrating round the 17-19 age group. It is not in their interests as wage-earners to remain at school. Nor can the employers be blamed for wanting workers fully trained at the age of 21. The second point is this: owing to the rush of boys from secondary and technical schools to obtain employment the rolls of these schools have, been so depleted that many teachers will be out of employment if the present staffing regulations are adhered to. How can this be done in view of the Ministerial threats to private employers in similar circumstances? Now, why does the Minister say that trade expansion is the cause of the trouble and that the recent legislation is not? The above points possibly give some clue as to the reason.—Yours, pipCONSISTENT. August 14. 1936.