VOCATIONAL COURSES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 237, 19 September 1934, Page 4

VOCATIONAL COURSES

Compulsory Attendance Comment by Miss D. M. Arthur, principal of the Napier Girls’ High Schoo), that she had long felt that a movement making attendance at vocational courses compulsory for all girls and boys who had left school and up to the age of 18 would be very beneficial, gave rise to some discussion at the meeting of the Napier Secondary Schools Board last night. The secretary, Mr W. L. Dunn, pointed out that such a system had existed but it had been discovered that the compulsory pupils interfered with the progress of the voluntary pupils. It could be reintroduced by Order-in-Council. The principal of the Boys’ High School, Mr W. T. Foster, said that he had sent out notices to all boys who by virtue of competency or proficiency certificates were entitled to continue 'their education free and had not attended for that purpose at day school. The response, he pointed out, had been negligible. The chairman (Mr W. Dinwiddie): Perhaps it is that these boys have no definite occupation to look forward to. Mr Foster agreed. He said that he had put one boy through matriculation, but he was unable to find a job. So possibly other boys asked: “What’s the nse!” “They do not seem to realise,’’ commented Mr Foster, “that education is an advantage in itself.’’ Miss Arthur, reporting upon the evening classes, said: “The cookery class is being held at the manual training centre, and I hope that there will be a larger attendance. I hnvo not got this term's rolls for all classes, but there appears to bo a slight improvement in several of them. T read with interest a recent paragraph in the Press which stated that in London the Government and educational authorities, having awakened to the realisation of the acute problem of t.hc unemployed and idle adolescent, were making attendance at vocational courses comnulsory for all girls and boys who hnd left school and up to the age of IS. 1 have long felt that a movement of this sort would be very beneficial to the vouth of New Zealand, especially during these times when opportunities for employment are so few and habits of idleness so quickly acquired.” • A