TECHNICAL EDUCATION REVIEW

Evening Star, Issue 20973, 11 December 1931, Page 3

TECHNICAL EDUCATION REVIEW

POLICY OF DEPARTMENT i AGAINST INTERESTS OF COLLEGES Thu following review of the work of the King Edward Technical College and High School for the past year was submitted by the principal, AIT W. G. Aldridge, at the annual prize-giving ceremony this afternoon: — t It is well known that technical high schools tend to increase in roll when trade is bad, evening classes ’when trade is good. it was therefore not surprising that the attendance of the Technical High School should rise to over 800 this year, and that enrolments in junior evening classes should show a decline. But those tendencies arc not wholly* duo to slackness in trade; they are natural consequences of “ acceleration ” in tho primary school, and of perfectly proper restrictions placed upon the employment of juvenile labour. They are also well known to tho Education Department. .It is some years since tho movement towards a. large Technical .School in Dunedin made itself plain, and under present conditions there is a I probability, amounting practically to certainty, that more pupils still will wish to pnrol next year. Yet the Minister and the Education Department have declined to assist tho Board of Managers in providing for future growth, although the board has exhausted every moans of bringing home tho urgency of the need. At limes it seems as though there is no technical education policy before the country; at others as though technical schools are to bo discouraged from growing any further. In this, as in other connections, reflection brings one to tho conclusion that uniformity in schools is one of the chief goals at, which tho department aims. Tho nnifrom labelling of primary school pupils with proficiency passes, the tendency towards standardisation of curricula in secondary and technical schools, the conditions governing awards of free plains and of leaving certificates, the proposals to grade all teachers in one li , and now to amalgamate 'postprimary schools, all point in one direction, and that against tho aim of technical education, which is tho provision of edneatipn suited to tho needs of tho individual i .pil. Tho hoard’s own view is that the larger a technical school grows tho more useful it can become by improvement in its organisation and wider differentiation in its teaching. The most recent official view, as far as it can be gleaned from stray ind cations, seems to be that there is a UK *•, efficient size for any school, and differentiation within it should stop at a point corresponding roughly with tho needs of pupils able to take the usual secondary school courses. The history of technical schools in New Zealand is in Complete disagreement with this narrow concept of their functions. Throughout the year the board has had the use of part of a small building in Moray place, through the courtesy of tho Education Board. Tho same arrangement, extended for next year, will enable tho board to permit unrestricted entry into the Technical High School, but it is not really in the school’s best interests, and cannot bo looked upon as anything but a temporary and rather unsatisfactory expedient. The Technical School Board has lost this year approximately 25 per cent, of its revenue, together with further amounts through withdrawal of subsidies and other gran'.. It is yet too soon to guess what will bo the ultimate effect of these reductions in income, but certainly the board can no longer improve playgrounds or add to equipment, and perhaps the board may be unable to maintain buildings in proper condition. t COMPARISON WITH OTHER CENTRES. Comparing the Dunedin School with tho institutions in other centres, Mr Aldridgo states: “Early in tho year I was granted special leave in order to make detailed inquiries into the organisation of the three other largo schools. 1 found that, provided tho internal organisation was good, a school of double tho size of this one could ho conducted as well in every respect, and I have since been preparing for such changes in organisation as a htrgo roll number makes desirabij. Tho three departmental heads appointed Lave taken over further responsibilities, and a staff’ council of seven senior members now regularly advises mo. With tho assistance of departmental heads and councillors, sectional staff meetings are being held from time to time, responsibilities arc being shared more equitably amongst other members of the staff, and slowly and naturally the way is bein': prepared for the next stage in tho school’s growth. I found, too, that in our evening classes, apart from classes in university subjects, wo have reached a comparatively advanced stage in organisation, our own classes being qiiito as well graded, more thoroughly supervised, and not inferior in number; that in day and evening cl.ssos wo insist more strongly on tho technical sido of onr work, and clarify our own problems by deliberately leaving academic teaching to the secondary school, except in rare instances. One curious discovery was that wo are the only large technic .1 high school that attract boys and girls in equal numbers.” TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL. One new feature of the Technical High School’s work this year, continued Mr Aldridge, has been the development of truly differentiated thirdyear work—an interesting experience in a. school such as this, in which much of the teaching must remain of elementary grade, and one which merits comment at I .some Jqngtb. This# development is to ho attributed as much to the general lowering of tho ago of entry into post-primary schools as to unfavourable prospects of employment. Varieties of third-year courses have been explored fairly thoroughly this year, and plans have been made for certain new features in connection with senior work for those pupils for whom an extended stay is desirable. But tho year’s experience has shown quite clearly that for a number of pupils a of three years is as long as.is desirable in an institution of this kind. A technical school is called upon, under one set of regulations, to handle pupils varying widely in ability and aptitudes, ami under another set, of regulations to maintain opportunities for tho further instruction of similar pupils in evening classes. There arc limits beyo. I ffhich time-tables refuse to bo stretched. Tho board cannot provide full-time fourth-year courses for students of every possible grade, even though such students may bo the holders of nnexpired free places; it must give preference to those who make satisfactory progress. In normal limes this difficulty does not appear among senior students; indeed, until this year it had not been recognised as a real difficulty. By dealing with it at once (ho board hopes to preyent an accumulation of pupils in the school who lack any clear aim, and who arc content to drift along without ques-

tioning their own progress. Commencing next year, 1 intend to prescribe lor all senior pupils extra work outside (ho ordinary curriculum—work intended as training in continuous unaided effort, in the acquisition of useful information, and in the exercise of personal judgment. Without such additional tasks there is reason to fear that the highly differentiated timetables of third and fourth-year students might offer opportunities for slipshod study For students unable to do such work, my firm belief is that evening classes arc preferable; that employment during the day is urgent in order to form regular habits of sustained industry, particularly in such occupations as those students arc likely to enter, and that, if denied the chance of such employment, those senior pupils should bo definitely enrolled as employable youths and trained in a different atmosphere; in technical schools, if need he, but under conditions other than those existing in the Technical High School. They arc potential workers; they have ceased to bo school learners. In 'point of fact, and independent of this special problem, New Zealand is nearly ready for a further stage in industrial education —namely, that in which there would develop, under new regulations, courses of different kind for, boys and girls who are definitely below 'the average in general ability. A further extension of educational facilities is not'called for so much as a wise discrimination in dealing with cases where present practice lias proved to ho at fault. For instance, the public has tacitly approved of a loose attitude towards the proficiency test, which results in the technical school having to deal with pupils widely diverging in ability. In consequence, valuable time is lost before these pupils can be finally sorted, and some of them prove unable to benefit from the simplest teaching wo can give. We have split up our usual courses in day and evening school into major and minor, and this differentiation of work is proceeding very successfully, but the time-table is becoming too complex, and the strain on accommodation too Severn, for differentiation in grades of teaching to proceed any further. It is time lor tho junior high school movement to be re-ex-amined in tho light of this problem by a body of open-minded investigators who are not over-zealous for uniformity' throughout; out education system. There is here an opportunity for wise economy; there is another, as has been hinted above, in the recasting of the regulations which permit attendance up to tho ago of nineteen years of all holders of senior free places. I suggest, of course, tin \ under each head alternative opportunities be granted to industrious students, and not that our past laxity be atoned for by indiscriminately curtailing our present system of I’reo education. Of tho experiments that have been begun this year, the introduction of medical inspection premises to be one of the most valuable. The board has been peculiarly fortunate in securing, the services of Dr Horens for this * k. His preliminary survey of tho senior boys and girls of the school is probably the first iff its kind to be attempted in New Zealand. ' Given tho co-operation of the school medical -civice and of parents of our own pupils, he will soon produce results I believe, of value to the community at large as well as to the boys and girls examined. , VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE. The appointment by the, Dunedin Vocational Guidance Committee of a part-time officer has also had its effect on the school (states Mr Aldridge, dealing with the question of vocational guidance). Mr Conly has not spent a great deal of time with ns, hut his activities have benefited ns none the less. Wo lost during the second half-year more pupils to positions than in any other half-year yet recorded. In so far as this result is not due to an improvement in trade conditions or to a growing recognition of the fact that a pupil can be found in the technical school for almost .every position that falls vacant, it must be put down, I think, to a new preference for tested and partly-trained candidates for employment, a _ preference that has certainly been stirred to awakening by Mr Conly s canvassing from firm to firm. Yet, although in consequence' of these placings in employment 1 have been relieved of some anxiety about the re-enrolment of senior pupils next year, the public should realise bow serious conditions may become should the placing; of hoys and girls in employment become any more difficult. There should be no hesitation in impressing upon the Government of the day the necessity for producing new opportunities of training for youths in their later teens. Taxpayers are genuinely concerned about the problem, and suggestions for dealing with it are not Jacking. It is generally believed that the scheme sponsored by several Dunedin public bodies and having for its object the placing and supervising of selected youths on selected farms, and of maintaining their wages with the aid of a smalt Government subsidy, would attack the problem at its roots. It is further generally known. J think, that tlje larger technical schools would be prepared to assist in providing part-time courses in order 1 to keep alive in youths a stimulus towards and a satisfaction in mental and physical effort, a readiness to grasp opportunity when it comes, and generally all 'those'qualities that make for wood citizenship. In times of emergency it is quite possible so to adjust school hours that this period of training could be sandwiched in late in the afternoon and on Saturday mornings. But there is not yet a sign that anything is to he done, and. without authority the technical schools cannot move in the matter. There seems no real justification for delay, as fairly similar work lias been a feature of English educational policy for years. Considerations of justice alone demand that something should ho done for unemployed youths with the aid of the unemployment fund, since when employed they are called upon immediately to pay unemployment tar. The institution of public commercial examinations marks another important forward stop. The Association of Commercial Science, which has been formed in .Dunedin and which seems likely to extend its operations widely, is providing a well-planned examination system quite similar and in no way inferior to the dominion technological exa niinatiops. Our own students in both day and evening classes have taken up these examinations keenly, and when the business world generally realises that these examinations are, in a measure, a test of fitness to enter commercial life, the result will be, I am sure, a great quickening of interest in technical schools and their pupils,” EVENING CLASSES. Reviewing the work of the evening classes, Mr Aldridge states ( “ As mentioned above, there were few elementary students in evening classs. For instance, apprentices in the skilled trades provided less than half the usual number of junior students. There is every indication that this decrease will continue. It is a natural effect of tho increase in the number of boys and girls that now pass through post-primary schools. On entering evening classes they are usually able to proceed to something more advanced than first-year work. In spite of the falling off in the first year, tho-total number of classes remained almost the same ns last year, and the roll number suffered only a

slight diminution. In needlework and dressmaking five classes were opened. These proved so popular that every vacancy in them was filled as soon as it occurred. Two classes in physical exercises for junior free-place girls served to throw into relief tho fact that existing regulations make no provision for instruction of this kind—a 'difficulty which, it ! is hoped, will soon_ bo removed. On the commercial sido two new classes in lettering and two in salesmanship and advertising were added. Typewriting fell considerably in favour during the first part of the year, but the introduction of the ‘ rhythmic ’ method bids fair to make .this subject one of tho most popular. Woolclassing was so weakly supported that the class will he dropped next year. On the other hand, in engineering further differentiation is proceeding ; a class in marine engineering has bepn successfully Held, and further specialised classes will be opened next yar. In some of these there will bo less insistence upon proficiency in mathematical subject? and more reliance upon tho more descriptive and graphic elements in engineering. Classes in preparation for the Public Service examination fell into comparative disfavour, and tho absence of the usual transfers from senior form? at the Boys’ High School has loft the matriculation classes smaller than usual; but even.if these classes should die out for a time increases in other directions will more than compensate for their loss. In the, commercial department alone the possibilities of more advanced instruction in secretarial practice, bookkeepers’ work, and, indeed, in all lines of commercial study outside tho scope of University training in accountancy, are full of promise. In connection with preparation for accountancy subjects it is the desire of the board not to compete with the University of Otago in wellworn paths, but rather to strike out on new lines in tho hope of; raising, among vonths in commercial houses the standard of knowledge closely connected with tho needs of commerce itself until these youths compare not too unfavourably in the eyes of their employers with the rather academically-trained accountant.”