TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 42, 18 August 1925, Page 12

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

"LACK OF ENCOURAGEMENT"

TRADES TRAINEES NOT SUPER-

FLUOUS.

The annual meeting of" the New Zealand Technical School Teachers' Association continued its sittings yesterday afternoon, Mr, J. H. Howell, president of the association, preskling. Discussion continued on the unfavourable attitude of the Education Department towards the larger technical schools. Mr. G. J. Park (Auckland) said that the manner in which the Seddon Memorial College engineering courses had been referred to was objectionable. One hundred and seventy engineering apprentices were required yearly in Auckland, .and only 75 left his college last year. In the woodworking trade 170 apprentices were wanted each year, and only 70 boys in the building course left annually. The Director of Education had referred to the grants asked .for to equip certain schools. Advanced courses could not be organised without expensive equipment for which few technical colleges had been provided. The total grants for apparatus for all the technical colleges in the Dominion only amounted to £4000 per annum. Yet university bursaries and secondary schools cost from £30,000 to £40,000 per annum. He maintained that little encoiu-agement was offered to studonts who did not wish' to enter tho professions. The following remits ■were passed: — At tho aniiual meeting every branch may bo represented by"crelegates on tho following basis: One to five financial members, one delegate; for every additional iivo or part thereof, one additional delegate; provided that where a branch ' sends less than the full number of delegates, such delegates may cast the full number of votes to which this branch is entitled on the above basis. A branch of tho N.Z.T.S.A. shall consist of one or more members.of the association, provided that there shall not' be moro than one branch consisting of members from any one school. It was decided to sever the association's connection with the New Zealand Educational Institute. v j That the-minimum period counted as a half-day be fbced at two hours. ' . That no full-time teacher be expected to teach more than two nights per week, : unless under exceptional circumstances. That the Department \>e urged to make a definite allowance in hours per I week to the head of a Department; the allowance to be fixed by the grading officers after consideration of the amount of supervision work required; such allowance not to exceed seven hours per week. That the married teacher allowance be the same as for primary teachers. That the Minister be urged to consider a general improvement in the. scale oi salaries throughout the second division. That the yearly increment for lady teachers in division 11. be equal to that given to primary teachers. That the Minister bt> urged to have the salaries of technical teachers restored to 'their normal basis, by the abolition of the reductions previously made. ■ ■■ ■. . That pressure be brought to bear upon the University Senate to draw up a j syllabus for an agricultural preliminary examination. That the standard required for the optional subject (shorthand) for the intermediate examination should be 300 marks.. That woodwork and metal work should be included in the optional subjects of the intermediate exsaminaoion, That some form of accrediting be favoured in lieu of matriculation but no system be introduced by the Department without being.first submitted to the association for its opinion. That the New Zealand University authorities be requested to agree to a conference between representatives of the university colleges,- high schools, and techniaal high schools to discuss possible modifications of and additions to the matriculation syllabus, but that the Department bo urged to use all possible endeavours to secure that school record cards issued under departmental approval may become the recognised leaving certificate.,.