TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 45, 21 August 1925, Page 4

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

BOARDS OF MANAGERS

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED.

The Technical School Boards of. Managers' Conference was concluded yesterday at the Wellington Technical College, Mount Cook. Mr. H. S. W. King prosided. The morning's business was taken up ■with the discussion, of remits from the various centres of the Dominion. The first, question considered wae ■ whether special and adequate assistance should bo provided in .each of the largo centres for the supervision of evening schools. This was passed. The suggestion made by the Wellington Technical College that the school , leaving age and the age of apprenticeship bo raised was debated and finally carried. A remit from Auckland,; "That all apprentices attending Technical . School evening classes, according to apprenticeship orders issued ; by the Arbitration Court, should be excused attendance at military drill now compulsory to all youths," was thrown out and the following was substituted, and passed: "That tha Minister of Education be asked to press the Minister of Defence for. a regulation providing for all youths attending. Technical School • .evening classes, for instruction on at least two evenings, during the week- to be excused attendance at military drill while the classes are,in session." . REMITS ADOPTED. Other remits passed were as follow :—. . ... ... •....■ , "That the salai'ies offered for specialist technical instructors ■ is insufficient to attract men with the necessary,,qualifications, and that, the Department be strongly recommended to revise the scale.'! • -,- ■:- ■>■■■. "That in the.case of small or remote schools the Department should make some , additional : allowance to salaries to induce well-qualified teachers to seek employment there., .At present small schools are handicapped by poorly qualified? staffs, .and hence lower finances." ■:. -."That.'instructors, be paid for overtime done, this year in. the • evening school for the period between the opening of.the evening school ,and the opening of, the day school, provided that the instructors were on duty for ordinary working hours during that period;" ■■•'-"Thte the 'staffing, of the -smaller Technical High Schools, be on the basis of one teacher to every twenty-five pupils." ■•.. ■■■, • .."That the Railway .Department be urged, to recognise the work done in the .Engineering Department, of Technical Schools, by alloying approved courses to couut as part of an apprenticeship per? iod; that the .Railway Department re : quiro. its apprentices to,, take suitable courses at ..technical<.,classes." ... , . , "That pupils. .taking. technical. ..and vocational courses should bo, afforded the opportunity ..of securing senior free places, by examination, and that, in, ; this "connection ..the : Education Department should .-be-, urged to establish a qualify: ing ■examination..for- senior < free places suited to the requirements wf such pupils:" ■ ■ ■■. ■■ • ■■■■■ .-.> :.■; •; ■■• "That candidates 'for the positions, of Parents' Representatives • shall i be entitled tp'-a .scrutineer in the counting of a ballot.-for such.elections."- . -; "That the Minister of Education be urged to iriake definite provision for allowances to Vocational teachers in technical schools to enable them. to obtain leave of absence for the purpose of acquiring up-to-date information in their subjects-of instruction." ....,-,.' "That the delegates to Conferences of Managers should receive actual travelling expenses." .- ... :. , . , "That thei Department should pay or make provision for .boards to pay .the. expenses of. a' delegate -fqr '..- at least one annual conference" relating to technical Bchools.;" . . . .... ', .•' :■■ ■■■ . "That the. Minister of Education be urged to adopt legislation permitting pupils of secondary and, technical high schools 'to' be accredited ''for entrance to the universities instead, of .being required to', pass, the j matriculation examination." . "That, the members of, boards who liye at a distanco of over, five miles from the place, of. meeting receive actual travelling expenses." „., '■, "That the Department should, in all cases, pay subsidy £1 for £ on, voluntary contributions '. to the funds of technical school boards.' . . . ■„ , ... ...,,. VThat the Education Department- he asked to make, allowances towards -..the cost of instruction and Bath charges'.for teaching ..of. swimming and life-saying in technical high and .'day technical schools." .-.. . .- .- .. , "That the 1. Department make provision for the conveyance of free, pupils, to technical schools where the. railway service is not available—the provision to ibe similar to that made for primary pupils." .. ■ , -.',-.. « "That the salaries of directors of. technical schools should not be dependent on tho number of classes, but should be fixed on tho basis of merit, qualifications, and experience." „., .... - A' discussion took .placp on the questtion.of whether; it was, in,the bes.t interest of. education that tho . Public Works Department should .prepare plans for technical..school .-buildings. • It [was agreed that work of the Public Works Department hud given great satisfaction, and that! tho chief objections lay in the standardisation .that..necessarily followed. It was decided that it was "better for the Public Works Departmont to carry out this.work. . In respect of the attendance. of boys at military drill during tho time .that 'evening classes were in, session, , it..wis resolved that the .Minister.,of Education be.asked; to press the Minister of | Defence' for definite, regulations providing that all youths' attending, technical school evening classes.fur instruction on at least two evenings per week should bo excused attendance, at .military drill while -classes are in session.. It was pointed out that this, would) not permit evening students to escape, .their military obligations,, but that it would.prevent evening drills., from interfering ■with tho youths' progress at school work. 1 . , . , ' A discussion- took place . upon the question as to whether junior high !'schools .were so devised that pupils-com-pleting tho three years' course in a junior high school would pass on satisfactorily- prepared : for. a second year course in a secondary or technical school. ■Auckland representatives pointed out that this year's experience .led them to believe that pupils who were taking a three-year course at tho junior ' high schools were likely to lose, a year if they afterwards joined up with . technical high schools. It' was feared that tho junior high schools would tend to discourage further education above the junior high school slage, particularly foe boys wishing to take up courses.in connection with trades. It,was felt, that this' tendency was quite opposed to tho belief which was advanced when junior high ' schools were first considered, tliiit. junior high schools would have.'a. fairly strong tendency towards directing "bpyo. to trade and industry rather than. tu prof essibns. , „.. ... , ... . --j '.(t-was decided tiiat it. be;'a;'?.'.eccj; miai3'n-,

dation to the Department that actual travelling expenses be allowed to members of boards if living at a distance.ofover five miles from the- place of meeting. ; ... A constitution for the Association of Boards of Managers was adopted, and tho following officers were elected for the en3uing year :'■ —President, Mr. H. S. W. King (Auckland); vice-president, Mr. J. K. Kirk (Gisborne).; secretary and treasurer, Mr. G. J. Park (Auckland), executive, Messrs.. M'Grcgor Wright (Christchurch), Trimble .(Stratford), W. M. Luxford (Wangauui). Votes of thanks were accorded to tho' Wellington Technical College' Board and to Mr. and Mrs. Howell for their 'hospitality; also to Mr. La Trobe and the officers of the Department.