TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Evening Star, Issue 22517, 9 December 1936, Page 15

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

BOARD OF MANAGERS MEETS ” % The Board of Managers of the King Edward Technical College held its monthly meeting yesterday afternoon. Present were Mr J. J. Marlow (chairman), Mrs W., Herbert, Miss L. Sullivan, Messrs W. G. Cocking, C. J. Hayward, H. H. Johnson, ,F. L. Lawrence, J. T. Paul, L. Sanderson W. D. Sutherland, J. M. Patrick, and Dr R. Gardner. ENGLISH AND HISTORY CLASSES. Reports dealing with the teaching of English and history at the school were placed before the meeting by the principal (Mr W. G. Aldridge). The report stated that the_ keenness of pupils in the first-year history classes had been freely commented upon. This was completely due to the new methods outlined m a report for 1935. All concerned had come to realise that history was definitely not a succession of wars and battles, nor a hotch-potch of political plots and counter-plots, but that it was something living and endowed with dramatic realities. With the hook sets now on order the teachers would be able to extend the new system to second-year classes in 1937. At the end of tbe session there were 17 English divisions, as against 12 at the end of 1935 in the evening classes. The average attendance at these ■ classes Jiad been remarkably high and ’ all showed a fine working spirit. The ideals of the Technical High School with regard to English teaching were sought in the evening classes, and it could confidently be asserted there had been a great improvement in the standard attained. The enthusiastic staff seemed fortunate in being able to infect their classes with their own zeal and aspirations. The present staff was most efficient, and in spite of unavoidable changes during the year good work had been done. There seemed to exist a demand among the _ Shorthand-typists’ group for a class in English which would follow the syllabus prescribed for the Government examinations. It was recommended that such a class be instituted, the time of meeting to be between 6 and 7 on one of the evenings On which the girls attended school ordinarily. The report was adopted. GENERAL. The Chamber of Commerce offered to again donate £3 3s for the establishment of' a commercial bursary.—The offer was accepted and approved. Details in connection with the closing ceremony, to be held on Friday evening in His Majesty’s Theatre, were discussed, several suggestions being approved. • ' . The Board decided to hold a special meeting on January 26, 1937. APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE.

Presenting the report of the Appointments Committee, Mr Paul said the committee had devoted a good deal of time to a report by Mr L. D. M'lver, head of the commercial department, in which the most weighty proposal advanced was the establishment of a senior school_ of commerce, with the object of providing a means for specialised commercial. training during the day for students who had already received secondary education for three years outside the Technical High School. The committee, being greatly interested in _ these proposals, had directed the principal and Mr M'lver to work them out in detail. It was expected that this new departure would both meet a distinct need for sound instruction and raise the prestige of the whole college. A lengthy meeting had been devoted to a consideration of the art staff’s answers to the principal’s draft report upon the method of conducting a separate art school. Here, again, initial! difficulties had been cleared up by a joint report by the principal and Mr Gr. Tovey, head of the art department. The committee recommended that it be adopted in full, and that application be made to the Education Department for the appointment of Mr Tovey to the office of head of the art department. In connection with the consolidation of the control of education, the committee had discussed the question generally, and agreed that the time had not come to take any definite position, other than that of not condemning in advance any action that the Government might initiate. The following motion was submitted by the committee for confirmation by the board:— “ That if a reduction in the staff of the Technical High School should be required the board be recommended not to adopt a rule by which the member or members of the full-time staff most recently appointed should be asked to resign their positions; but that as a first measure the amount of overtime teaching should be reduced; if this should prove insufficient the Education Department should bo asked to maintain the staff in their positions until a way out of the difficulty should he discovered that did not inflict un-

due hardship on any member of the staff.” The committee recommends the reappointment of the three existing heads of departments for the year 1937 and the addition of Mr Tovey to their number: the confirmation of the seniority in their. respective subjects of Miss Moran, Mr Gair, Mr Stephens, and approval of the principal’s recommendation that Miss Dur.vard should be appointed girls’ supervisor for 1937. Tbe report was adopted, JOINT COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The Joint Committee reported that the bank balance at date was £625 12s sd. The art wing would probably be finished in February, 1937. Mr Tovey had presented the committee with a report on furniture required for the new art , school at an estimated cost of about £BOO, andl recommended that tbe claim for this furniture be sent forward to the Education Department immediately. The report was adopted. SEASON’S GREETINGS. The Chairman thanked the members of the board for their loyal support during the year, and expressed the hope that they would enjoy a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.