STAY AT SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 7

STAY AT SCHOOL

VALUEOf FULL COURSE <,

A GOOD FOUNDATION

The advantages of completing at least a three years' -course at the college were strongly urged by Mr. A. McFadyfen, principal of the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College, in his annual report.

: He stated, that the school had always found it -- difficult to maintain senior classes but this was an experience peculiar to most technical schools. The withdrawal of promising boys and £irls from the school was to be deplored. There was but little risk for pupils of proved ability remaining at school for the usual period and hasty and uneonsidered action on the part of parents often~ robbed many a promising boy and girl of a real chance in life. " Parents should realise that there were advantages to be derived from that extra year at school. A firmr foundation for subsequent study and training would be assured and any delay in earning would be more than redeemed subsequently.

REASON FOR POOR RESULTS. The principal referred to an adverse -report onV the standard of the work done by Dorhiniqn candidates who had been examined for eletrical wiremen's licences and attributed the poor results to the fact that many oi the candidates had: no secondary education or else did not complete a full course at a technical school. A good foundation was a prerequisite for subsequent studies at evening classes. r Pupils attending a commercial course should," he said, be encouraged to. attend for three years. Boys and girls were most successful who* stayed for that length of time. There should be no necessity for any boy or girl to go .to a commercial college to complete 3 His'or her commercial training. As good a -training was-given in the technical colleges although it was most difficult . to .persuade, parents that such was the ..case. There were cases of pupils leav-. 'ing technical schools to complete at " commercial colleges who did well, but , the reason for that in many cases was the good foundation laid in the technical colleges" which should really get tlie credit fot the subsequent good work The school had a case this year of a girl, who. In the middle of her second year, was able to do 80 words per minute In shorthand, that result bein*" obtained after a broken year like 1937