TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1928, Page 3

TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Presentation of Prizes. The Greymouth Technical School held the breaking up ceremony yesterday, when the prizes gained by the pupils in the vraious classes were distributed. The usual enthusiasm wis shown by the pupils, and a happy gathering was addressed by the Chairman of the Hoard of Directors (Mr T. Kldon Coates), anil the Principal (Mr Hutton). The following is the puzc list gained by the pupils in the var ions classes: — . Addressing the pupils, the Principal said: — On such an occasion as the break-ing-up ceremony of th? Tcchnica High School, it may not be mopportun 1 to bear in mind that the Technical High School is really part of a composite institution known ns the Grevmr.uth Technical College. It embraces the Manual Training classes G-ieyniouth. Hokitika. and JRititon attended by approximately B.>o boys and girls- the evening school at Greymouth. attended by 170 students and the Technical High School, which tins vc:ir reached a roll of -I*- pupi >- 11 Technical High School is a fnll-time secondary school providing for all i’pnns of post-pitiniary instruction. Wh'n the school first opened there were three courses provided, a 1 rofessional Course. an Engineering Almost 70 per een t to a I’rotessional Course while only S per eent. took a Trades Course. To-day 43.2 per ecu . of the total rool take a Professional Course. 227.3 per cent, take a Commercial Course.. 23.5 per cent take a Trades Course leading towards either one of thc Engineering Trades or the Woodworking Trades, and 6 per cent, take a Domestic. Science Course. J hi'

diversity in the selection of courses, I think, is in the interest of the District. It is. however, desirable that pupils should carry whatever course they make up to a sucessful if they have the ability to do so. To enter upon a course requiring two, three, or four years for its completion and then to withdraw at the end of twelv e months is very uneconomic. Che' first year is taken up with foundation work. During the following years the pupil begins to reap the benefit of what he has sown. To leave before the normal completion of the course, is to fail to reap the benefit of what he has sown, the full measure of benefit the course can confer. No pupil should ever stop short of an attempt to qualify for a Senior Free Place —of course not all succeed. The successful ones should at least enter upon the Senior Free Place and attempt to complete • a course thc length of which will vary

with the object aimed at. Pupils should invariably remain at school until employment can b 0 secured. Naturally not everyone can obtain employment at the end of a school year. For* a boy or girl to idle about from the end of the school year untd April or May o r June is wasteful. Such puj»ils usually deteriorate ablv. We are only too pleased to assist in placing a suitable pupil who has completed a course and is awaiting an oncniug. who comes straight from the school, and the result will be more satisfactory both to pupil and .employer if the advice of the school is sought. A pupil who, during the school year, goes direct from school to employment can transfer the free place held to evening school, and will obtain much help in those things essential to the employment entered upon. In the case of apprentices pupils may pursue the evening courses for the- new Technological examinations instituted in New Zealand for almost every class of trade. It is very satisfactory to uS to note that a very small percentage of those who have completed a course satisfactorily have had to enter upon

inferior positions, and in these few » - casts undue haste to take the first posi tion offering has usually been respon V sible. The poorer positions have fallen A to those who have played with a course foi* twelve or eighteen months and reached no particular objective. Tn a town of this size a school o f this sort - 1 ran serve quite a useful purpose in placing pupils who have qualified in ' suitable employment if employers, as is often the case, seek <>ur advice. We J are able to give each the best offering for his particular type of employment. ‘ When, however, an employer just takes ' any applicant without consulting us he somethin s takes one who has not ' satisfactorily completed any course, 1 and a better pupil goes for the time unplaced. This is sometimes quite appar< nt in our evening classes when 1 quite inferior boys appear as apprentices at out classes while very much better material is to our knowledge available. It is pleasing to/note thax 1 us a direct consequence of the fact that pupils attending our evening classes 1 have at least obtained senior fret place’ before entry that the type of pupil taking vocational courses is much i better than it was four or five y< ar> ago. They arp mostly old Technica* High School pupils who feel that they are still connected with the school through the evening work, and art keen to improve their vocational equipment. It can therefore be claim , ed that the Technica! High School ha:improved the habits of the young people of the town to quite an appreciable extent. It is desirable that th< pupils who enter should obtain the maximum of benefit and that the com mur.ity should secure the maximum ot benefit from the school, and to that end I have made the suggestions of fered. The Technical High School has this year quite a creditable list of achievements. At last annual examinations eight pupils passed the Matriculation examination, and ten the Public Ser vice entrance. Recently three pupil? pas ed the Public Service Commission ers’ Examination for shorthand typistes. Fifty-one Free Places have this year been obtained. Four pupils who attend to take up teaching, passed sections at Class “D” Examination in August last. This year there was a large number of entrants for Matri- ■ | eolation and Public Service., the result* t of which will not be known until some j time in January. I In sport, the year. too. has been a ‘ very sucessful oi<c. The Newman Shield awarded for competition among 1 Secondary and District High Schools .of the West Coast, was won by the ’school, als othe local IV Grade Com- | petition, and one of our teams tied lor the Fifth Grade Championship There were four football teams in Saturday competitions throughout the season. This year the school has a promising cricket team, and it is hoped that equal interest will in the future | b e shown in the good old English game’ ’ of cricket, ami a high standard be reached. The girls are keen on bas- ■ Jketball competitions., as opportunity > oilers, and as a summer game crieke* » is becoming popular. In conclusion, 1 I ch.-uld like to thank the staff, of the 5 school for their effeient help and participation in school activities, and the I members of the Board for the <to-opei- . ation and support. , PRIZE LIST. i Dux Medal—Olive Flewellen. > Form VA., Mathematics. —J. Ttemp - ler; special prize. Lawrence Wilson. Form VA. Chemistry—J. Templet. Form IV, Science —Frank Smither* 1 am. C Form HI. Science—Dorothy Young. > Best Commercial Student —Alison Hambleton. ’ Highest Aggregate in Arithmetic, 1 Mathematics, History and Geography

—Rupert Kay. Highest Percentage of Marks in Woodwork, Theory and Practice —Tan McMillan. Best Pupil in Dressmaking and Cook»ry —Edna Murray. Best Pupil in Dome-tie Subjects— Alma Axelsen. Form H.S., Best all-round scholar— Marjory East. Form H.S.. most reliable pupil— Jean Howard. Form E 3 (special prize), best read boy. on special test and examination results —James Hector. Form E2 (special prize), best read boy, by special test and examination result George Mann. Form E, for first place in form iwarded on results of yea» ’« work — Ernest Tucker. The Sports Cup for boys was won by the Arawa Tribe, with the Taiaroa Tribe runners-up. and the Sports Cup for girls was annexed bv the Taiaro: Tribe, with the Takitimu Tribe run-ners-np. . i