TRAINING FOR TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 113, 13 May 1921, Page 10

TRAINING FOR TRADE

PROBLEM FOR SCHOOLS

TECHNICAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

Emphasising the importance of training in the arts and crafts of industry and commerce:, the Technical Education Conference continued its proceedings yesterday. Mr. T. Scott (Dnnedin) presided. JThe' conference was asked to reaffirm its past resolution-: That for young,persona (not exempted by regulation) between the ages of 14 and 17, residing within two miles of a technical school, the Goveiramenit should be urged to bring into force Regulations under the 1914 A<A, requiring attendance at technical' schools on one afternoon \ and one eventing weekly for a period not exceeding five .hours weekly. Mr. Ij. B. Partridge said' it was- not the wish of employers that young people should be tflcen away .from their employment at this particular time. He desired to enter a protest. Mr. I. E. Newton and Dr. Hanson were in favour of raising the age to 18, but amendments to that affect were lost on the voices. Mr. W. Fossoy (Timaru) deplored tho compnlsoTy nature of the resolution, and urged a broadening of the scope of section 89 of the Act, to enable'voluntary students to attend. The compulsory student was not a success. . Mr. R. J. Thompson (Ashburton) held, on the contrary, from experience that tho compulsory classes dad work, and pupils refractory at the beginning usually buckled down to their studies well in a very short'time. . , . The Chairman thought that if employers only assisted mone,' there would bo no difficulty. Dr. Hans en. was against compulsory classes. The resolution was reaffirmed on the voices. The conference reaffirmed: That the Government be urged to commence a system of daytime continuation education by requiring that all trades apprentices in Government or local body employ in the vicinity of a technical .school, where suitable courses aro provided, should be compelled to attend the technical school in working hours. ■ i Mr. G. J. Park (Wanganui) moved': That this conference approve of the formation of two types of technical .: high school, namely, rural and' urbani, the rural technical high school to provide two courses- (a)' agricultural/ (b) home science; the urban technical hurh school to provide at least four of the following courses : —(a) General and commercial, (b) industrial, (c) home. science, (d) agricultural, (c) art and art crafts. '' The conference affirms : ■ (i.) That schools providing more than, two courses should not b& established in towns within' a radius of thirty miles if situated in a district with suitable and reasonable railway facilities, (ii.) That to justify the for- : maition of an urban technical high school, there should be a roll number of not less than 200. After some discussion the motion! was lost on a division. The conference adopted a motion asking that both technical school boards and technical school teachers should' be granted direct representation on the Council of Education. The following motions were a/dopW : That this conference be held annually in May, and t&at the secondary schools conference be approached, with a view to the arrangement of at least' one joint session to consider papers dealing with some topic of national interest. That in order to afford facilities for co-operation and conference between the various branches of education, as well as for general public convenience, the Council of Education be asked to recommend that in the case of all educational institutions—primary, socondaiy and .university—the autumn and . spring vacations overlap by, one week. The second week in May and' tho last in August are suggested. The conference then adjourned until the, afternoon.