TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1935, Page 8

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

PEIZE DISTRIBUTION

DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS

INCREASED ENROLMENTS

The presentation of prizes to students of the. Wellington Technical College took place in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. Tne chairman ct the board* of governors (Mr. W. H. Bennett) presided. . • ■ . . -i Prior to congratulating the successful students, Mr, Bennett referred to the death of Earl Jellicoe, whose name, he said, was inscribed on the foundat-ion-stone of the college. As a mark of respect, he asked the assembly to stand in silence. . . To those pupils who had been successful, Mr. Bennett urged that they should continue their studies with vigour. He stressed the dignity of labour, and urged them to keep before their eyes the school motto, "He who serves is greatest." ■ ;■ In the course of his address, the Director 'Mr. R. G. .Ridling)■'said that the' enrolments in the high school this year were not so numerous as last year. "We began with 575 boys and 428 girls whereas last year we began with 660 boys and 466 girls," he said. The evening and art school enrolments, however, Increased from 1094 to 1303, so that there was in reality an increase I of 100 students in attendance.' As students from this and other day schools obtained positions, the evening school roll steadily increased, and by the middl-3 ot this last term the total enrolment had risen to 2946 with an at-i lendance at that time of 2350.' ' Since IS3O the enrolments have been in each year:—l93o, 3017; 1931, 2771; 1932, 2737----1933, 2687; 1934, 2810; 1935, 2946. ; ' : ABSORPTION OF YOUTH. ; "These figures- show that the'depression wave has passed and that the

absorption of youth by industry is rio longer a problem. 'More sh-ikihg figures, however, are those which show the number of students who left'the high school each year from 1930 onwards. These are: 1930, 353; 1931, -389----1932, 524; 1933, 544; 1934, 592; 1935, 612. "These numbers show that there has been a consistently increasing demand by industry and commerce for students with technical training. They show, an •■ ever-changing school population;', Too. many- spend too short a period in' the ■ day... school before they transfer to evening- classes, for parents have ■ not yet recovered from the panic aso- '. ciated with serious economic stress, and many grasp the .first opportunity :of ■ sending their children to work ; without considering how in the early ; adolescent years'the alteration will af- ■ feet the future of the individual: , BENEFIT OF TRAINING. \ "Figures recently, obtained from ; students in industry show clearly the benefits- of longer technical training in the college. After five years of work the average weekly wages of workers { were: One year of technical training, . £1 14s; two years of technical train- . ing, £2 15s; three years of day and I evening training, £3. From " every J point of view the one-year student is . a distinct loss to the State when com- [ pared with the more adequately-train-.ed individual. I cannot do moire than ': emphasise these points to pkrerits. I ■ can with confidence assure them that , the best investment they can make . for' their children is to provide for ( the longest possible period of training , during the adolescent years. ; "There does come a time when it is inadvisable for some students to con- . tiriue in school work, : but where a [ system of education operates which provides a large number of activities t and wljere these activities are asso- - dated w^ith the work to be followed after the student leaves school then , the.time'at which he leaves should be ;• delayed as long as possible. Parents can be quite certain that when their children reach the age at which they should take up work means will be . adopted by 'our vocational officer to , arrange that they be placed in some position." '. The Minister of Education (the , Hon. P. Fraser) spoke briefly." He . pointed out that in the electorate of . Wellington Central there were several . important educational institutions, and . that was something which appealed to him. He emphasised the all-round .character of technical education, which, <' he said, approached closely to the ideal. After the prizes were distributed by Mrs. Fraser. the pupils contributed . Vocal items, including a Christmas i carol.