EDUCATION CHANGES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 September 1930, Page 5

EDUCATION CHANGES

TECHNICAL MEETING DIVIDED

REPORT COMPILERS THANKED.

CONGRATULATORY REMIT LOST.

(Bv Telegraph—Tress Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 9. By uo moans all the delegates at the | technical education conference to-day approved the first remit, which proposed that the Minister of Education and the recess education committee bo congratulated upon the complete and comprehensive nature of the report submitted to Parliament. The remit was submitted by Mr J. Hutton (Greymoutli), who said they would recognise the excellent intentions in the report, and they might congratulate the Minister and committee upon the definite proposals put before Parliament. Mr (< j. park (Auckland) seconded the motion. , , , W. F. Durward (Palmerston, North) expressed the hope that the re- j port would not go through, adding.— “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hand is the hand of .Esau.” . Mr ‘E. Hi "Andrews suggested that the remit should say “thoughtful." It would mislead the public, said Mr H. S. W. King (Auckland), if the conference were to congratulate the committee upon the report before it had been considered by the conference. “Mr Andrews suggests saying ‘thoughtful, but I would rather say laborious; that does not convey any compliment." Mr J. Horn (Otago) thought the conference should wait until it had heard the Minister, when it might have clearer ideas on the report. Other delegates thought they should be content with expressing thanks for the report. Mr King moved an amendment that the Minister and committee bo thanked for the comprehensive nature of the report submitted to the conference, with some parts of which the conference would probably find itself in agreement. “I shall not mince my words,’ ’he said. “We have quite enough camouflage in the report. We do not want camouflage here, but we want to be courteous. We cannot accept the recommendations as a whole, although there are many wo can accept." Finally a non-committal remit was passed expressing thanks for the report.

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS,

The address by the president, Mr J. H. Reed, Invercargill, severely criticised the committee’s proposals regarding junior high schools. Evidence given to the committee, he said, indicated that pupils had lost time attending the Kowhai Junior High School. The committee had given too much attention to evidence favourable to the. sumor schools. The conference passed a remit expressing fear that the extension of the intermediate school system threatened the existence of technical schools, the discussion indicating that it was thought undesirable to have another break in school life. “It is csesntial that primary, technical and secondary school should not lose touch with the world of work." said Mr T. B. Strong, Director of Education, in an address to delegates. Mr Strong, who had been welcomed by the president, said he regarded the [Conference as one of the ant occasions in the history of teeli-) I nical education in New Zealand as it i would be discussing matters brought up in the report of the special education I committee. The Minister (Hon. H. AtI more) was to address the conference on the second day, and as ho had not yet made any pronouncement it would not bo proper for officers of the department to say anything on the report. It was essential that the primary, technical and secondary schools should not lose touch with the v/orld of work. There was a tendency on the part of some engaged in education to become somewhat cloisterod in outlook, keeping close contact with pupils, but not keeping contact with those engaged in industry. - The department valued the advice it received as a result of the conferences and appreciated the harmonious relations which had existed between the technical school boards and the department, continued Mr Strong. It also appreciated the co-operation of staffs with the inspectoral staff of the department.