MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1921. THE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 17 October 1921, Page 4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1921. THE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.

The official opening o! the Technical* High School by the Minister of Eduea- i tion on Saturday afternoon is a milestone in the educational progress of Hawera. The long and persistent requests of many people in Hawera in years gone by to have a Technical 'High School established were finally granted, and though they have had to wait for a long time for the building to be erected, they_now hare the satisfaction of seeing a fine modern school, which should be a flourishing and successful institution. The people, the department and the Board have done their part; the future rests with the i teachers and fhe scholars, and we know that the town and district expect the institution to flourish and become a. training ground for. the generations to come, and they desire that not only shall a high standard be set educationally, but that the .moral development : and training of the scholars shall be j such that those who pass through the school may be able to take tkflir places as citizens second to none in loyalty and devotion to their country. That these things can and will be accomplished we have every reason to expect, The training of seholftra for use- |

ful lives in v district such as this is more necessary «t times like these than ° over before. Tho great nations are likely in a few years' time to be en- r gaged in tho Reorient competition, and t the peoplo who have the greatest mini* l ber of skilled «Jid scientific workers < will win pride «of place iv tho world's ' commerce. Samth Taranaki is and <al- I ways will be essentially an agricultural 1 district, and tho days are at hand when I the «pp!icaiion of .science to the indira- j . try must Ke> undertaken to a far greater | degree than has been done in the past. ( Tho students attending *hu Technical |< High School should be provided wiUSi j' «vory iaeility to encourage those vrho , so doniro to bocomo scientific f-anuers. : Buch Ruhjects as chemistry, electricity, farra engineering, plant and animal life, forestry, Kttidy of the soil and soodfi, book-keoping, and English language and literature should with .groat advantage be taken by .students who desiro to go on the land, and we hope that tho school will be able to make fuU provision for the teaching of these subjects. But all tho students will not desire to take up farming as their work in life, and the school should be able to furnish thorn with a sound knowledge of subjects which they may . choose for their cqurses. We hope thafc the aid idea of "cramming" for long lists of examination successes will not be permitted to shut out the far more important function t* at tho institu- . ion should have of laying sound and permanent foundations upon which the great majority of students may build lator in life. While wo desire to ex- .,. press the people's appreciation of tho fine building provided for the district's educational wants and to congratulate the teachers and pupils on having he- J gun a new chapter In their school life, j w$ liope that the public will take a con- j turned interest in the progress and de- j velopmeut of education in Hawera and , '■ district, and as time goes on we hope ' that bequests in the form of scholar-- . ships and bursaries will be made to the school. Educational facilities have an important bearing upon the growth of a district, anU the establishment-of an r up-to-date technical high school, such as we now have, removes an objection which we liavo heard given by people U who otherwise would have tnken up . their residence in the district.