CONTINUATION CLASSES

Evening Star, Issue 17923, 20 March 1922, Page 7

CONTINUATION CLASSES

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. There has been some criticism recently of the Government's economy proposals with regard to the abolition of compulsory cwntimtatioji classes for boys ann trirls between fourteen and seventeen years of a"e. Under the existing law a school district may of itself adopt compulsion with respect to these classes, but it would appear (stated the Minister of Education) that the Act lias been largely a dead letter. Tho Minister has received a report, on the subject from the Director of Technical Instruction, Mr W. S. Latrobe, who says that compulsory attendance of boys and girls between fourteen and seventeen years of age has not been a success in those cases in which the students are unwilling to attend. In many cases also the course taken has no very direct bearing on the occupation of the pupil, it being found necessary often to admit a compulsory pupil to classes which are attractive, such as woodwork and metalwork for boys, rather than to classes which deal with subjects involving more mental strain. It is not, however, the intention of the department to prevent pupils from availing themselves if they so desire of the privileges which they would enjoy under the regulations for compnlsorv- attendance. It is only in respect to those who do not wish to attend that no provision will be made. All those who wish to attend will be admitted, provided there is a reasonable demand for instruction in any particular subject; provided also that such pupils not otherwise entitled to free places are prepared to come voluntarily under the provisions for compulsory attendance. As regards technical classes generally it is not the intention of the department^to refuse to recognise those which, minister to real educational need h tho community. Even in the case of adult classes for such subjects as cookery, dressmaking, and woodwork recognition will not be withheld if it is :3hown that the, class is .mainly attended by learners, and that the classroom is not used merely as a convenient work room for producing articles with the aid of an expert paid by the Government. Under tho latest regulations by which the salaries of teachers are paid by the Government directly instead of being provided indirectly by capitation on the attendance of pupils, it is necessary that tho department should impose some lower limit on the number of pupils for which a class should bo recognised. It is admitted that this lower limit should not hi too arbitrary, and that where tho subject is essential for an important industry or occupation a class may be profitably established, even if the numbers are below those which, under the capitation system, would be required to enable the expense of teaching and rnarntennnce to be met. It must be pointed out that whereas formerly the financial responsibility for a class rested directly on the managers, it now rests almost entirely on the department, which hopes, however, to have the cordial co-operation of tho managers in its efforts to secure both efficiency and economy in the administration of technical and continuation classes.