CLEARING THE GROUND

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

CLEARING THE GROUND

FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION

DIRECTORS CONFER ON WAYS AND MEANS.

The Technical Education Conference concluded its proceedings—which have lasted thron days—yesterday afternoon with a variety of resolutions dealing with different aspects and /difficulties in the work of the technical schools. Mr. T. Soott (Dunedin) presided. On the motion of Mr. J. P. Kalaugher (Auckland), the conference resolved that the Education Department be urged to adopt the " school enrolment and! perniit-to-work certificate" in connection with regulations under section 124, Education. Act, 1914. The purpose of the resolution was that children should not be permitted to engage in employment, or employers to engage them, unless they had a " permit-to-work " certificate. The following resolution in regard to the training of teachers was re-affirm-ed :— It is essential to the development of our system of technical education that the Education Department make provision for the issue of teachers' certificates to men and women from com;, merce and industry who have taken , up, or intend to take, up, technicalschool teaching. These teachers' certificates should be issued to persons satisfying the following requirements : (i) A standard of education equivalent to matriculation pass in general subjects, and (ii) a basic knowledge of a group of subjects constituting a course, with a special knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more of the subjects in such a, .course; and, further, (iii) a, knowledge of pedagogy, together with experience in the management and teaching of classes. It is considered that a stipulated number of hours of actual teaching practice should ■ be required before a successful candidate is entitled to receive a teacher's certificate. On this -point the Supervisor of Technical Education (Mr. W. S. La Trobe) stated that the Department was considering the question of holiday courses and of holding examinations of such persons described in the remit. The main thing was the desire of the teacher to gain marks and a mastery of the methods of dealing with the material of his teaching. Mr. A. G. Tomkins (Westport) moved: That the Railway Department should be prevailed upon to admit as thirdyear apprentices, pay third-year wages to, and give preference to boys who have attended regularly for three, years at aij approved technical day engineering course when a minimum of onethird oi the time is given to practical work. The motion strongly supported l.y Mr. A. Marshall (Dunedin), who said that in Victoria and Queensland technical students in the service were granted special facilities and privileges. The' motion was adevoted. Mr. F. D. Opie (Palnrorston North) moved: ' That the Education Department he urged to make a. short course in home ke'sping, nome nursing, and the care* and treatment of infants, either compulsory in place of arithmetic, or optional with arithmetic for girls attending special classes at technical schools. The spanker said that during the influenza epidemic there was such. a. display of ignorance of the first principles of nursing, that he felt the urgent necessity of the motion he was putting forward. Girl's,, should .have a knowledge of hygiene, personal ,'and' househoTdj of child welfare, and kindred' aspects of home life. He gave an instanco of a mother knowing no better than to put salt on the scalded neck, of a little: child, thinking it a remedy. Such a course, as suggested in the motion, .had been put into operation with a. clsss of 40 flirts- at Palmerston North with remarkable .success. i „■■'■ Miss A. B. Juniper- (Auckland) gave tho motion support, qualified by the proviso that the course should not be com-puk-ory but optional.' . Mr. J. H. Howell (Wellington) thought far too much attention was given to .arithmetic, which was not need'edl beyond the primary school standard in keeping household accounts. An amendment by Mr. A. Gray (Haw.era) to omit all the words between "infants" and "optional," cutting out the compulsory clause, was adopted, and the motion so amended passed. Mr. A. G. Tomkies (Timarn) moved : That the Government, be asked: to am«nd> the Defence Act, so that military training shall not, in any way, be allowed to interfere with the attendances, of pupils who are taking any special course of work at technical schools. This was seconded' by Mr. R. Grant (Ohristchurch) and carried with two dissentients. • I. Mr. J. P. : Kalaugher (Auckland) moved1 : That where Standard Five and Six. girls arc taught by a special dressmaking teacher for one hour' weekly, they be not required to take ordinary school needlework. ' The motion was carried. The conference reaffirmed the resoluLion: ' That the Education Department be again pressed to provide Dominion examinations in special subjects for students of technical schools, in lieu of examinations conducted by English education bodies. On, the motion of Mrs. H. Fem-er (Auckland:) the conference decidied to urge that dietetics should be taught to boys as well as girls in primary, technical, and secondary schols. The conference affirmed! the desirability of appointing an organising woman inspector of wido practical and touch-ing experience in connection with the teach-, ing of the art and science of household work, to be carried on in the schools of the Dominion.