BOY EMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 286, 29 August 1933, Page 8

BOY EMPLOYMENT

“Half Work, Half School’” CONFERENCE TO BE HELD A step toward dealing with the problem of juvenile unemployment was made at a meeting in Wellington yesterday of the executive of the Boy Unemployment Committee, .. when the suggestion of half-time work and half-time school for all under 16 years of age was discussed. This suggestion was made in the report of a recent informal conference in the city, and was elaborated to the executive by Mr. John .H. Howell. It was decided not to give the scheme definite support until a general conference had been held in Wellington to discuss its merits. The idea was really an application of a scheme thought out by Dr. C. Beeby, Professor of Psychology at Canterbury University College, said Mr. Howell. His scheme was, in effect, to prevent the employment of juveniles under the age of 16 years for more than half time, while the other part of the boy’s time would be required to be spent in some form of training at one of the ordinary schools. In other words, it was a principle of “no school; no employment.” The effect of the scheme’s adoption would be to double the number of positions held by juveniles under the age of 16 years. This would result in an increased demand for those over that age, because most employers would find it the more convenient to engage fulltime employees. There would be a considerable lessening, although not a removal, of unemployment of those under 16. There would be difficulties with certain classes of Industry, especially the rural industries, that would have to be considered. Mr. Howell mentioned other recommendations by the informal conference, which have already been published. The suggestion for raising the compulsory school-leaving age to 15 years, he said, would obviate the necessity of applying Dr. Beeby’s scheme to juveniles under that age. The Minister of Education had been empowered by an Act passed ten years ago to put that into force at any time, and the conference had held that the time had now come when this was urgently necessary. It should not be a difficult matter for legislation to be enacted, especially in connection with the Shops and Offices Act, so that the scheme could be put into force. So far nothing had been done, apart from the expression of opinion, toward solving the problem. “I suggest that you Invite the Juvenile Employment Committees in other centres to send representatives to a conference,” said Mr. Howell. “But before such a conference is held it would be desirable to get the views of employers, labour organisations, and educational authorities. Unless there is a great body of opinion to* carry weight with the country and the Government, nothing will be done.” It was decided to circularise the conference’s report among the different organisations and educational authorities in Wellington, asking them to consider it and each to appoint two representatives to a local conference to be convened by the boy employment executive, and also to send the report to other boy unemployment organisations in other parts of New Zealand to show them what was being suggested.. Various objections and difficulties in connection with the scheme were mentioned, and it was decided that official support would not yet be given to the conclusions of the. conference. The executive aimed at testing the general opinion on the question, and if the scheme were approved in Wellington, the other centres —and later the Gov-ernment—-could be approached.