MORE IN INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 253, 23 July 1935, Page 5

MORE IN INDUSTRY

Technical High School Pupils WELLINGTON POSITION “The return of classes shows that there has been a steady decrease in the number attending the Technical High School due to students bemg placed in industry. There has been a. steady increase in the enrolment in the evening school which compensates for the high school reduction and the increase is shown to be 142 individual students over the individual enrolments at this time last, year,” stated the director, Mr. R. G. Ridling, in his report at. the meeting of the Board of Governors of the Wellington 'Technical College last night. , . "A high average attendance is being recorded in the art section, for 83 per cent, of the .students have been in regular attendance,” Mr. Ridling said. "The second landscape painting class held on Saturday afternoon is proving successful. There has been a large increase in the enrolments for drawing required for examination purposes. This is u measure of the increase in classes where students are preparing for university entrance work.

"The board will be glad to note the increase in the enrolments in most of the industrial classes. The building section in particular has a much larger enrolment than in previous years. Increase in Commercial Section. “Painting and decorating and motorcar body-building are still very small. It is strange that in these industries where greater activity has been manifest for some time that more students are not enrolled. The average attendance in these classes is 75 per cent., but even with this 103 students more than last year are in regular attendance,” Mr. Ridling continued. "There lias been a large increase in commercial section and continuation classes; English and arithmetic classes, salesmanship and the various accountancy classes being largely responsible for this.

“In the home science section dressmaking and millinery have made a big advance over last year’s enrolments and the attendance in millinery and cookery is particularly good. In July of last year the total number of technical classes was 133. This year it has gone up to 156. There is, therefore, no doubt that the work in the evening school is proving of benefit to students. It is also interesting to note an increase in the average attendance from 76 per cent, to 78 per cent, over last year. It will be necessary to divide further some of the classes where the enrolments have been particularly heavy.”

The return of students who left the college for a period of two months ended on June 28, showed that of a total of 76 who had left, 56 had gone into industry, one to a private school, six home, and 13 of no destination. Unable to Meet Requirements. “The position has now arisen where almost all the students from the senior building classes have been placed in industry,” Mr. Ridling said. “In spite of the fact that during the last two years at. least, I have urged upon parents the desirability of enrolling students in (he building section of our day school there has l»een a shortage of students in the latter part of the year, but never before so early as this have I had to make a complete reorganisation of the classes in the day school because of shortages in the senior section. Throughout this month we have been unable to meet the requirements of industry because the younger students are not yet ready to take up positions and on this account it would be unwise of us to accede to the demands.”