STUDY AT EVENING CLASSES FOR 2000

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28835, 4 March 1959, Page 7

STUDY AT EVENING CLASSES FOR 2000

More than 2000 persons in Christchurch will find themselves a little busier than usual in the coming months. They have enrolled in a wide variety of evening classes conducted each year by the Christchurch Technical College, where “lessons” began this week.

Students have a choice of study in about 40 classes, and may prepare for 18 different examinations—ranging from a shorthand certificate to plumbers’ registration. Evening classes are as popular as ever, and numbers are up on last year in many subjects. Dressmaking continues to attract big numbers of women to classes, although only a few tackle millinery. A new class for women this year is an afternoon one in cookery. It was begun by special request from a group of Karitane nurses, but is open to others as well. Principles of television is another new class to interest men with a bent for radio. Already 30 have enrolled. Shorthand-Typing Popular Shorthand and typewriting classes show a big increase in numbers this year. About 150 beginners are being introduced to the mysteries of shorthand symbols, while another 75 persons will be learning to write them at speed. About 140 will be learning typewriting, in various stages of progress. In the main, office girls seeking to improve their skills provide the attendance at these classes. The demand for office workers has been steadily increasing ever since the war, and there are still plenty of jobs for shorthand-typists.

“But it could be that employers are demanding a little more from their office girls, and that things are tightening up a little,” said Mr A. M. Hatch, head of the college’s commercial department. There has also been a fairly heavy enrolment of young people in classes studying for School Certificate and University Entrance. As four subjects must be taken for both these examinations, this means fgur nights’ study a week, and possibly on Saturday mornings as well, in addition to homework set. “This requires considerable sacrifices, and it is greatly to the

credit of those young people who complete the examinations successfully,” said Mr D. W. Lyall, principal of the college. English For Immigrants

Special English classes for immigrants are aghin being held this year. One is conducted for those who know very little English, and another for those who have been improving their English at these classes for two or three years. These are the ones who are keen enough to want to acquire a more complete knowledge of the English language. Others attend the classes until they have acquired a working knowledge of English, and then drift away. Numbers in the accountancy classes are up a little this year, and the attendance at the class in business administration has doubled. A number of employees of retail firms are attending a Saturday-morning class in retail administration, run by the Institute of Management. Music-making is another important part of the evening-class programme. Beginners’ and intermediate classes are conducted in stringed, woodwind, and brass instruments, and the senior players form their own orchestra. For this reason good players are always welcome at the classes.