CRITICAL YEARS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 595, 25 August 1909, Page 9

CRITICAL YEARS.

':".-.•.' ; *- >—:... PLAN TO RAISE SCHOOL ACE TO 17. LABOUR BUREAUX: FOR JUVENILES. Those critical years of a boy's or girl's life—from 14 to-17—are dealt with to' tho oxtcnt. of over three hundred pages in a report which contains tho reached by tho British Consultative Committeo. on Continuation School's. It may be said at the outset that that committee,, presided over by the Right Hon; A. H. Dyke-Aclond, believe in compulsory attendance 'at ' such schools. Tho method proposed will bo shown later •ph.'.- : ] ■■ '.'; How thoroughly tho : committeo • havo studied tho question may ho gathered,.from the fact that the investigations go away back to the' first ovening schools in England, in 1711, and oven to the Sunday schools of Jean Baptiste do la Sallo in Paris, in 1690. From theso beginnings the growth is traced of varied establishments of to-day, including the adult sobool movement, - to which new life- was given ,in 1845 by Joseph Strange, of Birmingham',, and his companions in the Society of Frionds; and the People's High Schools in Denmark. The schools established for their employees by Messrs. Brunner, Mond, and Co., Messrs. Joseph Crosfield and Sons, Messrs! Lever' Bros.; Messrs. Caflbury Bros.; and other well-known firms; are also to sbmo extent described. •'

Great care is taken to show how much adolescenta of 14 and 17 need, the discipline of school life in those years. ' Thus, Mr. R. H.Tawney, . lecturer on. Economics at Glasgow University, quotes • specimen cases, showiiig how. a boy i wanders through many callings. ~.--.. :...' v-'Special Nonds of Girls. The special, needs of girls are "also set forth, as .is the industrial development, which 'is"."proceeding at tho cost of the exploitation of. our. girls as well as of our boy's," and "the -unemployment, sweating, and physical deterioration with which we are now confronted." Some of the long hours worked by girls are set .'.out .thus: ' ..'

Shop assistants, 74 hours per week, less . _■.' meal'times. _~-'.- .., 'Domestic servico, no legal limit of hours; ..Clerical .work, no legal limit of hours. ; ■-; >':And.iit''is : the. case -in,country parts that "the isolation: of many of the houses, and tho loneliness of the roads" .make any general system of attendance'at evening schools undesirable, .'except where -the homes /aro close,td-the school. : ; Indeed,/" in the case of most girls,,continuation classes- are not desirable without some reduction of the hours of labour.";, ''■'■. .').<'. There-arc, of course," special conditions"; in rural'districts/'both for boys and girls. Hero are practical 'subjects, suggested for teaeh-Ingzin-csuch/localities: subjects 'for boys.* Wood-work, ■'.',■ forge-work,.'.and rural carpentry;., allot- \ ment; ; cultivatioff and. fruit' culture; basket-making and other rural. handi- ' crafts. '.- : '-. . '.... -;-. -, .Practical subjects;for girls: Domestic economy, including — hygiene, cookery, ; laundry-work, •' needlework, and ' housc- .:' , keeping.a.ccountisY- ••,:';":' ' Rscommendatloris. Tho committee recommend several changes in the present stato of the law. ;vThese;may bo briefly summarised thus:; Day-school classes should be reduced; in size. v,'V'\?',.'"'"-. ".'V' : .'f .'.'•■;/' '-?- : ',--..'■ t' Day school'attendance-should be made compulsory up to the age of 13. 'After a short interval exemption should be forbidden'up .to the age of-14. 0/ . ...... '■■■ •

-■■■ The' age'of exemption should notbo raised; .at-first at'all events'/above the ago'of 13; in the'case; of boys to" be employed in:agricul-' ture.j-'.an'd .in rural' districts, the; authority should; have .the .option 'of allowing, girls' '-whose'' assistance ,is.:Tequjred..at,..'hbmb; for. part of the'.day' to 'attend "the "day' school .half-time from 13 to 15, instead of whole time- up to'-14i-l)ut -onlyrfor j).f;.;hpm.e L duties.....- ...&1-X-R. HH aid jiij,. \r.ob • Exemption'from full time-attendance at thefday. school in'the.,ca.se'of boys and girls '.under:, 16 : ' should only' be; allowed: wh eii the' question is .to'"fie suitably .employed. . ..';' . Junior, employment registries shduld.be es'f skilled ..advice., -to. pare'nt3J managers, and teachers in ;tho.selection oxsuitable occupations for the children between the' time, when they leave the day school and their 17th birthday, and in thV children's choice of such further courses of instruction as will help in qualifying them for future skilled,employment.-' •'"'"■ > '•':'.. • ';! '' These registries, should be subsidised ■ f rofa public funds/and should/bo closely related to any system;'-of.- ;adult. 'labour.-bureaux which ,may-'h'eroafter be. established. :l - ;: i It should be/the'statutory -duty,.' of the local 'education: authority tp,make,suitable 'provision • for continuation ' schools, and it should bo lawful for the authority to make by-laws -f or requiring .attendance, at '/'continuation classes/, .v.';: ...:/.'■ /'';./ ■:-

' It-should be the statutory duty, of ah. employer/to provide sufficient time .for"young persons in his .employment ;to attend "these schools, and-he should be forbidden to emr, ploy any young f.persori who failed periodically .to' produce a card showing His or. her regular attendance at a' continuation school.

~■■':'.' Cost of Schema. ."■ v V '; j The.annual cost 'of .these reforms would be as.'follows:—-.■• <..'}',:.■■....■.:;.'. '~ .'•-.. -,'. Raising, the .school age from 12 to ';; ■'"Iff' " ■■:..::.:.:::::.:...,.:..,........:..:.;; £52,790 Raising the school age from'l3 to . 14.; ........... .......£436,395 :'.:• Total ; ...iv-v''— .To this must be added the cost of the additional >\ students at continuation , ; schools. Assuming- that there would be 1,500,000 additional students; and that the cost of these ■was; £1.155.. per head, the total annual cost of these wonld be £2,625,000. Adding these' two' sets of, cost together, the "annual result'is:" ': '"'• "■" "•"""-' Raising 'day school age..limit ( '...... , £489,185 Additional students at contin'ua-,' '•'''■;',.'..' .tion. schools, v....;..:............,... £2,625,000 :. Grand: total ..........'„„....... :£3,i14,18p - This is for "maintenance" only, and the committee,says; it is impossible to'give any idea,of; .what the. provision of premises may cost.- ..■ ■ ~