NO CHANGE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 75, 26 September 1933, Page 12

NO CHANGE

TECHNOLOGICAL TESTS

APPRENTICESHIP QUESTION

It was announced at last evening's meeting of the Wellington Technical College Board of Governors that the Education Department had decided not to depart from previous practice in connection with the necessary qualification to sit for technological examinations. At a previous meeting of the board some discussion centred round a suggested change in connection with the examinations. Tho regulations governing these examinations rcquiro that candidates for the intermediate examination should have at least tho standing of a thirdyear apprentice in the trade or calling to which the examination refers. The suggestion made by the Department was that, in view of the present difficulty of obtaining apprenticeships, the conditions should be relaxed to the extent of allowing candidates to sit without this condition, but withholding certificates until their third year of apprenticeship in an approved workshop should have been completed. The board had deferred its decision pending the receipt of opinion on the matter from tho advisory and apprenticeship committees. The principal of the college, Mr. R. G. Ridling, stated that the • Education Department had asked the opinion of the board upon the desirability of allowing students to sit for the intermediate technological examinations without the three years' trade experience I which was at present essential. Four of the % apprenticeship and advisory committees had approved the questionnaire submitted on behalf of the board, and one committee had not approved it. A combined meeting of the various apprenticeship committees had exexpressed themselves as not being in favour of the alteration. NOT THIS YEAR. Mr. Ridling read the communication from the Education Department, which stated that none of the candidates presenting themselves for this year had been technical school students without the necessary apprenticeship qualification. The number of candidates with insufficient apprenticeship had been very few. After considering replies received and hearing the opinions of those concerned with the trades, the Department had decided that it would be unwise to accept candidates for the examinations without the apprenticeship qualifications required by the regulations. Those candidates who had already secured apprenticeships would have ample opportunity of entering for the examinations when their service was sufficient. It.was not proposed to depart from previous practice in the meantime.