TREND OF MODERN EDUCATION

Northern Advocate, 9 December 1936, Page 5

TREND OF MODERN EDUCATION

SHORTAGE OF SKILLED LABOUR

[Per Press Association. Copyright .] WELLINGTON, This Day. | The trend of modern education to • meet the need of skilled labour was discussed by the Hon. Drummond. Minister of Education in New South Wales, who arrived in Wellington by the Makura yesterday on his return tc Sydney after six months in Europe. He said that, in spite of unemployment, there was a shortage of skilled . men and the U.S. Government had , voted 33,000,000 dollars (about £6,600,000), which was double the usual amount, for encouraging vocational education. For many years it had j been assisting vocational education, j dollar for dollar, but now was giving two dollars for one. j The main difference between American education and education in New Zealand and Australia, said Mr Drummond, was that students in the United States were trained for skilled occupation up to the age of 18 in schools, as distinct from purely apprenticeship methods. That was a very marked trend in the world today. Mr Drummond said he attended the Educational Fellowship Conference in England, at which 44 countries were represented. Practically every country that was up-to-date was organising education on the basis of the child leaving the primary school at 12 years jof age, and transferring to an interi mediate school which might or might I not incorporate a full secondary < course. Children were taken into junior technical schools'at 13 years of age. and given a trade and general education. In some cases three years’ training was accepted as two years or one year of apprenticeship, but, whether it was or not, tjie student had a flying start when he started work.

RUATANGATA LIME COMPANY !

The fourteenth annual meeting of the Ruatangata Lime Company was held on Monday evening, Mr R. R. Hodge presiding over a fair attendance.

The chairman, moving }the adaption of the report and balance sheet, said that circumstances had stood in the way of the company being able to sell lime this year.. Fn consequence, a loss of £2B 0/10 was shown. However, the prospects of winding the company up at an early date could now be safely predicted as a result of the purchasers of the company’s plant being almost ready to pulverise lime at the Ngararatunua site.

The election of directors resulted in the re-appointment of Messrs A. C. M. Finlayson and W. J. Thorburn. Mr A. L. Pike was re-elected auditor.