APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26538, 28 September 1951, Page 10

APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING

N.Z. EDUCATIONISTS CRITICISED

THEORIES SAID TO BE OUTMODED

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 27. Many technical education authorities were out of touch with the realistic needs of industry, and were still holding outmoded theories toward apprenticeship training, said the general manager of a Wellington engineering firm, Mr K. Pallo, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Technical Education Association. Educationists had misinterpreted the trends, with particular reference to the engineering trade, said Mr Pallo. There had been too hasty emulation of overseas methods —a course not only impossible, but extremely dangerous in New Zealand.

Industry fully appreciated the work being done by technical colleges, but thought they were taking on more work than they could handle in an attempt to get closer to university status, he added. The industry believed that there was no justification for compulsory daylight training of apprentices. All the manual training of apprentices could be done by individual firms, but colleges should provide Saturday and evening classes for those who wanted them.

“Colleges can teach anything they want to youngsters before they go to industry,’ 1 he said. “After that they should leave them alone until they return voluntarily for more education." Mr D. W. Lyall (Christchurch) said it was not true that the colleges were chasing more work. They were iust trying to provide the facilities asked by industry. Mr J. V. Burton (Dunedin) said that there were many concerns in the country which cculd not give adequate training for apprentices, and this had to be got from the colleges.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE FUNCTIONS

EXTENSION ADVOCATED (New Zealand Pres* Association) WELLINGTON, September 27. Extension of the functions of technical colleges was advocated by members of the New Zealand Technical Education Association at its conference yesterday, and it was decided to urge the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie) to appoint an assistant director of education in charge of technical education to lead the way in the development. "The claims of technical education in New Zealand are much better understood to-day than ever before,” Mr Algie told the conference. “The status of the pupil is higher to-day—much has been done to improve it. Technical and academic students are to-day side by side.” The Minister added that the daylight training of apprentices had developed unexpectedly. The system had all the merits originally claimed by its advocates, but its cost had proved far greater than was ever mentioned when the system was inaugurated. .

The Minister also commented that there would have to be an early decision on whether there should be separate boards of management for post-primary and technical schools.