YOUTH IN INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 258, 28 July 1936, Page 6

YOUTH IN INDUSTRY

Education Difficulties LEAVING-AGE QUESTION Concern at the number of first-year students under 15 years of age leaving school to go into industry was expressed by members of the board ot governors of the Wellington Technical College at the monthly meeting last night, and a motion was carried _ requesting the Government to bring into operation the legal school-leaving age of 15 years. The director, Mr. It. G. Ridling, reported that between May S and June 30, 76 pupils had left the Technical High School, 51 of them going into industry. Of those, 31 boys ‘and _ll girls had enrolled in the evening Classes. Thus, 32 per cent, of the boys who had left to go out to work had not carried any recommendation from the college and would be denied educational advantages enjoyed by others or would receive only limited advantages in the evening after they were wearied from the work of the day. Few people gave any thought, to the effect of day work and evening education on the health and well-being of young boys and girls. Some were able to withstand the strain of the combination, but many found it so heavy that they were unable to continue attendance at classes, and so lost free-plaee privileges. It might be necessary for some young children to work, and for those there should be available education thiough recreation. The evening classes did provide some such training through music, art and literature, but the work of most of such students demanded earnest concentration on vocational subjects before they were physically fit for it. He would be glad to see the board provide an adequately-furnished gymnasium and to insist that all students who attended the evening school under the intermediate stage took at least one hour in the gymnasium each week. With literature, music, art. and physical training as continuation subjects, such young students would get a better chance to develop than they did at present. The difficulty of young students leaving the college would not be overcome until some alteration was made in the leaving age, Mr. Ridling said, and industry was now definitely the limiting factor in education. Mr. A. C. Blake: The leaving age should be raised. It is a matter for the board to ask the Government to take action.

Mr. Brooker expressed the view that there was a danger of employers not wanting boys of 17 or 18, and if that were so, money was being thrown away on their education if they could not obtain positions. Mr. Ridling: Legally, the leaving age is 15, but it has never been put into operation by Order-in-Council. Pupils leave at 14 and even at 13 if they can obtain permission from the Labour Department. It is not in the interests of boys of 13 that after working eight hours a day they should have to study at evening classes three nights a week, the minimum for free place, and therefore I have refused such students admission to the classes until they are older and more used to work.”

A motion requesting the enforcement of the legal leaving age of 15 was carried, Mr. Ridling stating that this would overcome the difficulty.