THE TECNICAL EXHIBITION—A CRITICISM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 15 December 1932, Page 5

THE TECNICAL EXHIBITION — A CRITICISM

■ 1 (To the Editor) • Sir,—When the late Minister, of Education put forward his scheme for Ihe amalgamation of the Nelson Technical School with Nelson College, I was one of many who heartily approved of the plain from several viewpoints. Economies so necessary in Government Departments could be made, and above all there was lacking in the school the facilities for sport (which in any case the then Director set his head firmly against) and the most notable feature was a complete absence of real school life.

With these facts in mind and realising that the first year of amalgamation bad come to an end, I went- on Friday to inspect the Technical Exhibition, fully expecting to find not only an increased number of exhibits (for the teclmical classes have bedn considerably enlarged), but. I especially expected to find a much Higher standard of work. In these respects I was sadly disappointed, in fact, I would say completely disgusted, to find in almost every branch a rapid deterioration in the class of work and a great decline in the number of exhibits. I fully appreciate that many pupils finish their work at home, and do not return it for exhibition purposes, but this does not excuse a poorer class of work. Not being of a mechanical turn of mind, nor even belonging to the gentle sex, I cannot express opinions on the work of the Engineering and Dressmaking classes, but, I certainly think that the Arts classes have not maintained the high standard of previous years. Is this because tlie size of the classes does not permit of the individual tuition so necessary in these subjects? Tlie Art Grafts section was quite good, but what have the Arts pupils done for the year? Next I turned my attention to the Commercial sections, and having many years ago been a Commercial student myself, I may be permitted to offer very just criticism of the work shown. I made, rather a. careful examination of the typewriting work, and found the evening classes’ exhibits well up lo previous standards. but some of the exhibits attached to the walls and marked “N.G.C.,” with the Form number added contained nothing but one long series of grave errors. Tlie work T refer lo was put in by Forms IHC and IVC, and purported to be business letters, whilst some from Form VC was work of a. more advanced type. All these wore in my opinion not a credit to those responsible, and L would go further and say that in my school days we would not dare to pass such work off as every day school practice. The bookkeeping also marked “N.G.C.” was such that T really wondered why it was shown at all.

Mv remarks are not intended to be used in a personal sense at all, for I am not even aware who the teachers of the various subjects are, lut I would sav that if a vast improvement in the work is not shown next year, the College Governors should seviouslv consider doing away with file exhibition altogether. After making an examination of all sections I left tlie building completely at a loss to understand why I should have approved of amalgamation, and feeling tlint those who still approve of it must be devoid of all sense of responsibility.— I am. etc.,

OLD PUPIL Nelson, 12th December.