LEAVING SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 128, 4 June 1929, Page 10

LEAVING SCHOOL

GUIDANCE FOR BOYS

PERSONAL TOUCH NEEDED

Pffnrt t thel. 6, sh? uld be'a further official effort to guide, boys and-girls .into suitable vocations on leaving school was a suggestion put to the' Minister of Edu cation (the Hon. H.: At'more) by a deputation from the, Technical Schools' Association. The proposal met with a favourable- reception. . hvV™^ P°inted ou* ■% the Minister tion, that there is quitea'big gap between the schools-and-/the country's industries, and it was' suggested that the gap could be bridged lither by the industries stretching, out to, the schools or by the schools taking action! The UV De?artment ha* made an at tempt to give vocational guidance, but it seemed to have failed, possibly be cause the. personal. touch' w Pas absent. The association therefore suggested that another effort should be made by staff'^ X° m, the teehnieal s^o°l S y ' staff a vocational guidance officer who r a °m tWU Ch b°J S aDd Sir! s wh^ tley came to the school,'look over their r7 cord, and guide them into the ri 2 ht channel of This o ffif e ■ would also be in tbueh with the indu" tries to know the requirements' . Mr. G. M. Keys, a member of the asso a.ed withJ;he special committee set up to study this _problem, and during the Christmas hoMays ;he had given his time.to.it in Christchurch unJer the auspices of the , .^M.C.A. Over 200 boys w;ent: through his hands, and 70 advl placed^ vhileothers.were given The Minister/ of Education expressed Pleasure at the deputation's suW s taona; which he 'said were familiK nir'n ™c !yvP- P^paied to take action. There fas certainly a link required between leaving school and the taking, of employment, therefore the matter deserved sympathetic and serious consideration. If no great cost was involved, action: would probably be taken immediately. The idea came into line with his policy of discovering the aptitude, of pupils, and he quite revised how important it .was to get a boy into work in wftieh .he was interested.