FOR THE BOYS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 121, 18 November 1909, Page 7

FOR THE BOYS.

APPRENTICESHIP QUESTION TECHNICAL. EDUCATION. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. Some discussion, took place to-day at the annual conference of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, on the subject of .apprenticeship and technical education. Mr. W. G. Foster, president, occupied the chair. Mr. W. H. Bennett (Wellington) read a short paper on the subject of "Apprentices and the Laws affecting thenEmployment." The paper -was almost identical with one read by Mr. Bennett before the Builders' Federation at Christchurch. He 'considered that "agreement" was better than "indenture" in the employment of apprentices. HALF EDUCATION A POSITIVE DANGER. Mr. W. S. La Trobe, director of the Wellington Technical School, addressed the conference on the subject. He considered the question one of the most important before the people of the Dominion. "Education should make a. boy an efficient workman, and an efficient member of society. Half education was a positive danger to the State. The ' primary school system, so far as it went, ' did good work, but stopped at the moat critical time in a boy's life. Fully 60 per cent, of the boys were not taking advantages of the facilities for higher education. Between the ages of four* teen and sixteen a boy must begin <,o earn something towards the livelihood of his people. Something must be done, therefore, to add to the primary education of the boy. in order to make a man of him. How to continue education .vithout interfering with the industrial development of the nation was the problem. In other countries, there was a system of compulsoiy '"bjgfrer education, and some such system would probably have to be introduced into New Zealand. The development of the individual for industrial purposes was the main question, of the meeting. BRAINS, NOT BRUTE FORCE. There was an inevitable tendency to pay a worker for brains and -energy,- nofc tor brute force. "You pay half a pound a week for brute force and the rest for the fact that the worker is a man with brains and energy," said Mr. La Trobe. New Zealand is a country of makeshifts at the present time— a country of clashing civilisations. Buildings, education ' — everything is in a makeshift stage at ' the present time." Technical training, continued Mr. La Lrobe, should be in advance of' present requirements and meet the requirements of future developments. A boy could not receive in the workshops the training he would require 20 years^hence. This he must receive in the technical school an* the university. Both technical school and university were in -a. makeshift condition. Instead of a cen- ■*■ tral university they had a set of evening continuation schools, which,' • no I doubt, were doing very good work. But still they had not the same advantages ' for training as were found in the institutions of the Old World. Wlia6 they wanted in New Zealand was to get good valua for, the money spent in technic.il education. WORKSHOP AND SCHOOL. The closer co-ordination of workshop and technical school was desirable. The day training, at present, could not overlook general education for citizenship as well as preparation, for trade. Boys should have two yars' training Delore going into a trade, and such trained boys should be encouraged in their subsequent apprenticeships. The Wellington Technical School could supply all the apprentices necessary for the different trades. The question had been solved in America, where the ordinary trade apprentice was paid less and • served longer than the boy who had been through a, course of technical traming. \ • ■ BOARDS OF CONTROL. • As regarded the motion before the meeting Mr. La Trobe said they already had Boards of Control in connection with two trades in Wellington, the plumbing and electrical engineering trades. The.se boards of control laid down courses for students and conducted examinations. The principle might be applied to -other trades which concerned the welfare of the public. "A systematic training was"" needed and to get that there mast be a close co-operation between the technical school and the employers. Annual reporis on the progress of students should be forwarded to the boards of control. A yearly determination of the boy's qualifications was necessary in order to prevent incoihpetency in trades — the last thing they wanted to encourage. The • apprentice who did not take advantage of his opportunities for technical training should lose a year of his apprenticeship or, if he continued to neglect his .chances, be dismissed. (Hear, hear.) A hearty vote of thanks was moved U) Mr. La Trobe for his address. Mr. T. Ballinger (V\ ellington) explained the system of the Board of Control in the plumbing trade. He did not believe in the "agreement" system. The boys who had passed at thp technijal school got Id an hour extra. NEW ZEALAND BOYS EQUAL TO . ~f, ANY. Hon. C. M. Luke did not understand why the lads of New Zealand were being traduced so much. They were equal to any 'ads in the world. (Hear, hear.) There were scores of New Zealand trained engineers doing well all over the world. Sjfcill New Zealand must keep ffjee with other countries in technical c'ducation. As regarded workshops anJ the "makeshift" argument, he considered that in point of efficiency the best Now Zealand workshops were unequalled jn any part of the Avorld. He considered_ that certificates should 'be accepted in lieu of indentures. There should be an obligation on the lad and the parents of the lad to see that he did his share. It was impracticable to send boys to school during working horns. He was glad to see Mr. La Trobe had not dwelt on this. It was sirnp'y i/npossible, as it would disorganise trade and disorganise thq routine of the shop. He was not out of sympathy with the new spirit of the age. The very best education should be given to the lads not only in their own interest, the interests of their employers, but in the interests of the Dominion at large. If the indus- " tries of the Dominion were to exist, thay could not bear any further disabi lities in the direction of disorganising the routine. of employment. The whole' subject was discussed at length. There was a general opinion in favour of technical education of apprentices. Mr. Chisholm, of Dunedir, however, did not think it much use in teaching a boy his trade.THE CONFERENCE'S DECIS-lON. The conference passed the following motions :—: — Thaj; this federation is opposed to any further compulsory increase of apprentices' wages. That the technical education of apprentices should be accomplished after working hours. That in the opinion of this federation employers should recognise the great value of technical education, and suggests to affiliated associations the advisability of doing what they can to foster and assist the schools in their centres. , That it be a recommendation io-em-

plovers in- all centres where technical schools are established that they secure adequate representation on "the Technical School Boards of Control of the various classes they are interested in ; -and endeavour to secure the issue of .Jinonlhly, lepovts to employers of the Iprogrejss-anql attendance of their apprentices. —- - ■ • " ~ - ?•'■ That this conference approves of a Central Board of Control -who shall confer with the Technical School authorities to arrange a syllabus of instruction for each group of related trades, to promote and hold regular and uniform ex'aminatioii of 'apprentices in all centres .tvhei'e technical schools are established. "- That while recognising the advantage -of machinery in technical schools, we 'Sesire, to "emphasise" tlie necessity of - thorough training in hand work.