A SCHOOL AT WORK

Evening Star, Issue 21570, 16 November 1933, Page 13

A SCHOOL AT WORK

TECHNICAL COLLEGE PRACTICAL GLASSES PARENTS' DAY A new note has been struck at the Dunedin Technical High School this year, when Parents’ Day takes the place of the annual exhibition of work. To-night and to-morrow afternoon, the school, in working order, is being thrown open to visitors, who may see the large number of practical classes actually at work. To-morrow morning parties from the sixth standard of all primary schools will visit the College and be afforded an opportunity of observing the work that is being done. In a technical school, where every course of instruction offers a wide scope for creative effort of every variety, the practical classes must bo of special interest. For this reason parents and friends will be eager to see how things are done by classes in their ordinary work. In the studios, workshops, and kitchens groups of students will be busily employed, while each room contains as well, a small number of finished articles. This morning a ‘ Star ’ reporter was given the opportunity of paying a visit of inspection to the various departments and seeing the students actively preparing for the official display, and when one sees the capable way in which all kinds of activities are undertaken and carried out it is not difficult to realise the importance of this type of education in developing individual powers to their fullest capacity. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. The activities of engineering students in the mechanical engineering laboratory cover a wide range of experimental work. In this well-equipped laboratory boys are carrying out experiments on the strength of materials, in hydraulics, dynamics and statics. Tensile, compressive and hardness tests are made with the aid of a fifteen-ton testing machine, and torsion tests on an efficient torsion machine, whilst the * comparative strength of wooden specimens is demonstrated on a beam tester. Interesting experiments are performed on the Fletcher’s trolly to demonstrate the laws of motion and force. In the hydraulics section the flow of water through orifices is being studied with the help of an hydraulics tank and weighing apparatus. A full range of experiments dealing with many other aspects of engineering is exhibited. It is interesting to note that much of the smaller apparatus has been constructed by students of the college. Equipment is also provided for experimental work in heat and heat engines, so that every requirement of the engineering student is anticipated and provided for. The electrical laboratory is again a great attraction for boys and men. Hero pupils of all grades are doing experimental work. Second-year boys connect various lighting circuits, third year boys test transformers, while matriculation students perform a series of interesting static experiments. The D.C. experimental board is given over to the Hopkinsou test of two shunt dynamos, while the alternating current board illustrates the method of determining the regulation of an alternator. Another interesting exhibit is the testing of a D.C. shunt generator of 4 k.w., which has been rewound by the thirdyear students. This will now form part of the permanent equipment, replacing a generator of obsolete type. In the metal workshop a great variety of work is in progress. Screw cutting, turning cone pulleys, cutting square tread on a lathe screw, planing railway iron for vyces, soldering, a tin box, and moulding in brasses are only a few of the activities of the youthful engineers at work here. The work carried out in the machine drawing rooms follows a set sequence from the elementary care and use of instruments, freehand sketching, and printing, to the production of finished drawings, tracings, and blue prints of advanced machine details. The firstyear engineering students are making finished drawings from freehand sketches. The tracings and blue prints displayed arc of the “ five horse-power

Orion marine motor ” now under construction in the workshop. These prints as well as prints of shop exercises have been made by the tliird-year students during the present year. CARPENTRY DEPARTMENT. In the carpentry department three workshops are open for inspection. In the first, first-year studehts of the engineering and general business courses demonstrate the application of common woodwork joints applied to fire screens, tea trays, and medicine cabinets; while second-year students are making work basket stands, folding bed tables, and tea wagons. The pupils make their own dimensional sketches or working drawings, and this is varied by occasionally working from a class-room model. In the second workshop boys are making models of an elementary standard.. Their work introduces exercises in the manipulation of simple tools, planing, marking out, and the sawing and fitting of joints. In the third workshop the students are fronl 1 all grades of the building course. The juniors are working on model clothes horses, incorporating mortise and tenon joints. The second-year pupils are employed in making sawhorses, models of framed ledged doors, dovetailed boxes, and book shelves. The senior students are engaged in the making of a full-sized stair to be erected in the shop to provide access to the mezzanine floor. In each of the shops are displayed a number of finished articles, such as stools, nail boxes, saw grips, book stands, and a few examples of the more advanced typo of work in cabinetmaking undertaken by evening students. PLUMBING SHOP, In the plumbing shop there are displayed specimens of work done by the plumbers’ apprentices, which gives visitors a full insight into the valuable work being done in this department, HOME SCIENCE DEPARTMENT. Two well-equipped, sunny kitchens offer to the domestic students an excellent opportunity for practice in baking! Coal ranges, as well as gas and electric ovens, are used, so that the girls gain as wide an experience as possible. In the first kitchen secondyear domestic students are baking cakes of all varieties, which are being offered for sale, in the other, the work is based on the preparation of meals, such ns simple luncheons, evening meals, or dishes suitable for invalids. ART DEPARTMENT. The work of the art department, as usual, shows its influence in all branches of school activities. In the studios themselves, young artists are seen at work with pencil and brush, while in the corridors and on the walls is hung a colourful display of posters, sketches, and drawings. The commercial poster and show-card section is particularly attractive, and shows the original ideas of day and evening students. Lino cuts and etchings attract a good deal of favourable attention, while the group of students engaged in printing linocuts are a centre of attraction to visitors. Still life paintings and life drawings, mostly of pupils at the college, are worthy of inspection. The “ Lino and Colour Club ’’ lias an interesting display of work, which enthusiastic members have carried out in their own leisure. Drawings, water colours, lino-cuts, and specimens of lettering are prominent among the exhibits, and by their quality prove how the valuable teaching received in school can bo turned to profit and pleasure in many a spare hour. The drawings of plant and animal form arc worth notice. Much patience and practice are required when such restless models as birds and small animals are to be drawn. Examples of basket work show by their quality that this type of, handwork is much appreciated as a hobby by some of the girl students. Some interesting designs arc exhibited which have been executed by girls from the domestic course. These drawings show designs for curtaining, towel lin|;, chinawaro decorations for various boxes for home use, furniture coverings, and dress fabrics for both summer and winter. ART NEEDLEWORK AND DRESSMAKING. In the needlework room first-year domestic girls arc happily at work, while a comparatively small but very comprehensive display of examples of various types of embroidery worked by the pupils is shown on tables in front of them. The most interesting pieces are those embroidered in the pulled and drawn work of the various European countries, which show great variety of execution. The pupils have been particularly successful with the Italian type, which lends itself admirably to very simple designs and depends for its beauty on the skill and accuracy of the .worker. Tho work of the first-year

students is of particular interest, as it shows a new application of the type of work used by our grandmothers when they embroidered their samplers. These youthful students have made table runners of basket cloth which they have effectively decorated with lines of the various embroidery stitches worked in different colours. Some of these runners, which are extremely attractive, illustrate as many as twelve stitches. Examples of applique and Richlieu complete the first-year display. One or two other pieces are worthy of special mention —a wall-hanging of Maori design, designed and worked by a girl of under seventeen years of age, two handkerchiefs of exquisite Carrick-ma-Cross lace, and two firescreens in tapestry are of outstanding interest. In the other room first-year girls show themselves as capable dressmakers, an attractive display of blouses, dresses, coats, blazers, and even costumes, showing the good style and neat finish of the completed article, while the girls at work demonstrate the excellent methods used. The students all learn to cut block patterns as well as to adapt commercial ones to suit their own requirements. COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES. Two rooms of commercial students indicate that all branches of office work •are taught in the most up-to-date manner. The typewriting room bolds a fascination for those who have not before scon the latest methods of teaching touch-typewriting. Each group works at an even rate, regulated by the playing of special musical records. Groups of girls from junior, senior, and high-speed classes, all demonstrate the high standard reached under this rhythmic system. In the other room senior students are operating some of the mechanical aids used in a modern office. The intricacies of machine bookkeeping, duplicating, and calculating machines have been mastered, and are well demonstrated to visitors. Another group is engaged in typewriting from shorthand notes. PHYSICAL DRILL IN BURT HALL. After inspecting the classes at work visitors are invited to Burt Hall, where a short programme is to be presented. The first item consists of selections by the school prehestra, whose playing is remarkably good when one considers that practically all its members began to play their instruments at the beginning of the school year. A well-trained squad of boys perform a set of vigorous exercises, accompanied by the newlyformed school military band, which is proving such an asset in school activities. A group of girls follow with a set of exercises, and rhythmic dancing, accompanied by piano. The programme concludes with a boys’ item, consisting of pyramids anti some well-done exercises on the parallel bars.