Teaching of skills

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 16

Teaching of skills

Sir, — I am a tradesman whose involvement in engineering covers 30 years. During that time I have become increasingly appalled at the attrition of standards and skills brought about by the inability of technical institutions to teach, and industrial management to recognise the value of good teaching. In both cases, neither has seen fit to ensure that the type and quality of teaching fits the needs of industry. I am sure that this stupid situation has arisen because the decision-makers know nothing about the engineering trade. It is a White out condition because those in command cannot see that New Zealand’s industrial expansion is on a collision course where vital areas of development work of an ever increasing scale may have to be nipped in the bud because of a severe shortage of highly skilled tradesmen whose skills take years to perfect, even when matched with .exceptional training. — Yours, etc., a. j. mcfarlane: August 21, 1980.