TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Evening Star, Issue 23092, 19 October 1938, Page 9

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

BOARD OF MANAGERS MEETS .A meeting of the King Edward Technical College Board of Managers was held yesterday afternoon, there being present Messrs J. J. Marlow (chairman), W. G. Cocking, H, H. Johnson, P. I/. Lawrence, J. T. Paul, L. Sanderson, W. D. Sutherland, Dr R. Gardner, Mrs W. Herbert, and Miss L. Sullivan. It was reported that a letter had been received from the Education Department. advising a reduction in the amount of the Government grant on library books to half cost up to a limit of £2l 16s.—The Principal stated that the estimated cost of the reference books ordered for the library was £IOO. The report of the Joint Committee stated that the Superintendent of Technical Education would visit Dunedin shortly, and would then discuss the board’s claim for a further grant of £1,813 16s 6d for engineering equipment. It had been in correspondence with the buildings supervisor of the Education Department, from which it appears that there was no grant of £5,000 for the domestic wing, and that certain grants may be made by the Education Department. The principal had been instructed to apply for a frant in aid of the cost of the new oiler and for the painting of the upper corridor and Burt Hall, the boards’ architect being asked to prepare the necessary specifications for the painting.—Adopted. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT. The Principal’s report stated: — Day and evening school: A recent count of the numbers in day and even-' irig school shows that the Technical High School has fallen from 836 on March 1 to 660 at the end of September. The 80 per cent, who remain represent the usual proportion in attendance at the end of'September each year. The rates of loss of the pupils in , the various years are accounted for as follows;—10 per cent, of first years, 25 per cent, of second years. 60 per cent of third years. These show the very pleasing tendency to diminish in the first and second year owing to the efforts of the two vocation officers in persuading parents and employers that senior pupils would in the long run prove by far the best employees. During October, November, and December the school usually loses heavily, and in the next two months the vocational officers must be particularly vigilant to prevent wrong choices of occupation on the part of pupils. Investigation of evening school rolls shows that attendance remained re- " markably good until the ouset_ of the measles epidemic. Even now, in spite of continued absence due to this cause, and withdrawals due to poor health following measles, evening classes are,

generally speaking, larger than they have ever been. Indeed, it is safe to say that at no time during the year has the number of active day and evening pupils fallen below 2,000. Special examinations in university subjects arc now in progress, but the ordinary timetable of evening school examinations will not begin until October 30i Evening school session ends on November 19 Work in Progress.—The Works Committee is now able to report that of the eight contracts it has been called upon to supervise, four_ are complete and paid for, two—the installation of new electric mains and the refitting of the garage as a plumbing shop —are now in progress; one—the laying of new engine beds for electrical and mechanical laboratories—is still at the stage of design ; the last—general painting work—has had to be deferred until the committee is certain that enough funds remain to complete it. The report was adopted.