TECHNICAL WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 133, 2 December 1936, Page 6

TECHNICAL WORK

THE HUTT COLLEGE

BUILDING FINISHED

PRINCIPAL'S ANNUAL REPORT

The monthly meeting of the Board of Managers of the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College was held last evening and was presided over by Mr. W. B. Nicholson. The board's architect, Mr. B. F. Kelly, reported that the contractor had completed the new building, and the final payment, less 5 per cent., was authorised. It was decided to call tenders for alterations to the old wooden ing at the rear of the new building to make it suitable for use as a small assembly hall. A letter was received from the Auckland Grammar School Board advising that the Minister of Education was not sympathetic towards the holding of a conference of post-primary school boards in Wellington. The tender of the Clyde Chair Company for the supply of chairs, the tender of MesEFS. S. S. Williams and Co. for tables, cupboards, stools, and lockers, the tender of the Barr-Brown j Construction Company for drawing boards, and the tender of the Scoullar Company, Ltd., for benches were accepted. The aggregate of the tenders accepted is £568. It was decided to draw the attention of .the Department to the urgent need of further workshop accommodation. PRINCIPAL'S REPORT. The principal (Mr. A. McFadyen) presented his annual report, which pointed out the difficulties experienced in working in cramped quarters during the year while the building operations were in progress. In spite of the new building any further development in the coming year would overtax the accommodation in the buildings. The enrolments, the report said, had been the highest in the history of the school. In addition to the High School pupils 524 primary scholars had attended for woodwork and cookery. The curriculum had provided for a commercial course, a home science course, an industrial course, and 'an art course. The home science course provided for a ground work in general and home science, hygiene, anatomy, home nursing, first aid, .and cookery, as well as dressmaking and millinery. It was proposed to enlarge the art course in 1937, and to include a crafts course which would enable pupils to carry out creative work such as art metal work, basket-making, weaving, batik, linoleum cutting and printing, leather work, stencilling, clay modelling, etc. A special feature would be made of music. During the year physical training had occupied a regular place, and there had been drill for the girls and cadet drill for the boys. Games and swimming had not been neglected. The evening classes had shown a rapid increase and the roll number was now 568, divided up into 69 classes covering a wide field of such varied subjects as arithmetic and buildingconstruction, mercantile law, metallurgy, economics, and art and design, typewriting, wool-classing, algebra, plumbing, bookkeeping, welding, etc. Fourteen new classes had been started during the year. Next year provision I would be made for a full A.M.I.Mech.E. course. The Parents' Association, the report added, had done valuable service.