TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 68, 23 March 1901, Page 3

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

DISCUSSED BY SCHOOL COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Gisborne School Committee was held last evening for the purpose of mooting Mr Hill, Inspector of Schools, and discussing with him the question of technical education. The members present were : —Bcv. H. Williams (in tho chair), Ambridge, Morgan, Johnston, DeLautour, Humphroys, Bright and Matthews. Messrs Mann, Bull, and Cuthbert were also in attendance. Mr Hill said that the question was an important one, and there was nothing in the way of tho Committee obtaining a grant for the establishment of a technical

school. The Act passed last year made the [way easy, and a district such as Gisborne could obtain special advantages and opportunities in the way of technical education. It was possible under the Act to obtain from the Government funds to erect tho technical school, and when tho matter was discussed by the Board ho had suggested that they should make application to the Government for grants to enable technical schools to in erected at Napier and at Gisborne. He had pointed out that it would be very much better if Gisborne had a controlling authority of its own, and Mr Tanner, tho Acting-Chairman, suggested that tho matter should be brought under tho attention of tho Gisborne Committee, with a view to their constituting themselves a controlling authority for tho district. Tho Act required that there should be a controlling authority, so as to enable tho Department to enter into communication with them, and establish classes. Ho suggested that the School Committee should constitute themselves the controlling authority, and make application to tho Minister of Education to bo so constituted. The cost of establishing such a school was ,G'2,500. The Committee should first make application to act as tho controlling body, and, secondly, they should ask for means to erect buildings. He had a form of application with him, which he would be pleased to fill in. The Board of Education had already made application for ■£'•'!,dOO for Napier. Mr Bright : Is the instruction in the technical subjects to bo given before or after the ordinary school hours ? Mr Hill : Tho school will bo under the control of the authority set up. Mr Bright : ff these classes are to be held during school hours the children will have no time to attend them. They have already sufficient to take their attention. AVc tried these classes before and they wore a failure

Mr Hill : f remember seeing something of the cooking class, arid I am sure you cannot say that was a failure. The girls receiving such instruction made excellent wives.

Mr Bright : Where arc they now '? Mr Hill : Absorbed, where wo want them to he. (Laughter). The now regulations which will lift issued will enable the syllabus to he modified in the direction of allowing these classes to he held. Mr I’.right : Wo ask for grants as though they came down from the heavens. "Whatever grants we get wo shall have to pay out of our own pockets. Wo have had a little experience in the matter of technical classes, and it was not a success. They fell to the ground because the children would not come. We shall have the name trouble again.

Mr Hull : Those classes were hardly for children. Tho Chairman : t may say as a member of tbe committee that governed those classes that it was hoped that tho children would attend, but very few of them did so. Tho children during school hours have as much work as will occupy them for the day, but with a change in the syllabus, as mentioned by Mr Hill, there mav be a better chance of success.

Mr Morgan : There is nothing to prevent us having tho classes for those who have passed through the school. Mr Maun thought that the literary work of the upper classes would bo to a great extent sacrificed. Mr Hill said that the remarks passed were beside the question. A technical school had nothing to do with secondary education. It was entirely apart from it. lie was not proposing to introduce a new and unnecessary form of education. It simply meant that they wore endeavoring to comply with the industrial conditions of society, and tho establishment of a technical school would assist tbe children to tight the battle of life bettor than they were doing. Surely if such an advantage eouhl bo secured without costing them anything, what earthly reason could they have for refusing it ? Mr Bright : It is just ns well for us to consider the matter. The present syllabus is full, and the children have all their time taken up. At least, that is my experience. Mr Hill : If you arc satisfied with the instruction your children arc receiving, there is no need for them to attend a technical school. Hilt there are many other children besides yours who would perhaps like to go. Mr Bright : The opinion of the Committee seems to be that unless tho thing is made compulsory, the children will not attend.

Mr Ambridge : I am of a different opinion, and think that an application should at onto be made for a vote.

Mr DeLautour thought the matter might remain in abeyance until the annual meeting of householders was held, when an expression of opinion might be taken.

The Chairman also favored this course. Mr Hill suggested that the committee should formulate a resolution dealing with the subject, suggesting that application should bo made for a vote, the resolution to bo placed before the meeting of householders.

After further discussion it was agreed to adopt Mr Hill’s suggestion, and the matter was deferred until the meeting of householders.