WAITUNA WEST.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2313, 16 March 1914, Page 2

WAITUNA WEST.

proposed Technical

CLASSES

A meeting was held in the Waituna Hall on Saturday evening to consider the advisability of establishing technical classes there. Mr E. Shannon, Chairman of the local School Committee, presided, and amongst those present were representatives from the Tapuae, Dunoily, and Beaconsfield School Committees, Cr. Pearce, Mr Fred. Pirani (Chairman of the Education Board), Mr Matthews (Director of the Feilding Technical School), and Mr Hayclon (headmaster of the Waituna school).

Mr Pi rani spoke at some length on the developments of technical education in the district, the advantages to be obtained from the classes, and the necessity for providing facilities in the country districts for the young folk to obtain instruction in many directions of immediate use to them in their present environment.

Mr Matthews gave details of the classes they could start almost immediately, if the necessary number of pupils—twelve for each class —were forthcoming, the fees being about 12s 6d a term for those who did not possess proficiency certificates, and the classes being free to those who did. Dressmaking, woodwork, millinery, orchard culture, woolclassing, and cookery were amongst those there should be no difficulty about, and he said he would be prepared to enrol pupils at once and make arrangements for the classes.

A number of questions were asked by Messrs Shannon, Strachan, Pearce, Grice, and others, including several ladies, and satisfactorily answered.

Mr Shannon said there would be no difficulty in starting dressmaking classes at once, and he felt sure some of the other classes mentioned could be filled.

A provisional committee was set up to take preliminary steps, consisting of Messrs E. Shannon, G. England, Peace, E. Whitehead, Gripe, and TI. Minson, and it was decided to ask the Beaconsfield, Dunolly, Waituna, Tapuae, and Rewa committees each to nominate two members of a permanent committee.

The meeting closed with votes of thanks to the Chairman, the Hall Committee, and Messrs Matthews and Pirani.