Conference To Discuss Technical Education In N.Z.

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28540, 20 March 1958, Page 18

Conference To Discuss Technical Education In N.Z.

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, March 19. The need for closer liaison between industry and commerce and the education service will be one of the principal matters for discussion at a conference to be held in Wellington on April 22 and 23. The conference is one of the first steps taken to implement a suggestion made recently by the Minister of Education (Mr Skoglund) that the time had come for a stocktaking of New Zealand educational methods and trends.

This afternoon Mr Skoglund said the two-day conference would discuss the present state and future development of senior technical education in New Zealand.

“The conference has been called,” said Mr Skoglund, “because the Government believes that there is need for a closer liaison between industry and commerce and the education service. At present there does not appear to be adequate machinery by which an industrial group can assess its needs for education to the technician level.

“Until the needs have been assessed by industry they cannot be met, for technical education is essentially a matter of co-opera-tion bet veen the education system and industry and commerce. It would be unwise of schools to offer courses without an assurance of support, or to plan them without full consultation with industry and commerce. Technical education without industrial participation is meaningless.”

As a preliminary step the department last year held a residential conference at Wallis House so that representatives of industry and commerce, in consultation with educationists, might consider the current problems of technical education. One of the unanimous recommendations of the group was that a widely representative conference be called to discuss senior technical education. Invitations will shortly be issued to all

organisations likely to be interested. Mr Skoglund said he would be glad to receive, not later than 4pril 3, applications from any other organisations which would like to send a representative.’