COMMERCIAL EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12519, 11 March 1904, Page 6

COMMERCIAL EDUCATION.

LECTURE BY MR. GEORGE.

At the request of the members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr. George George (director of technical instruction) delivered a lecture before that body last evening on the subject of commercial education. Mr. John Reid (president of the Chamber of Commerce) occupied the chair. Mr. George explained that the term, commercial education, was used to denote the whole course of educational training for a business career, whether it consisted of general education or education of a specialised nature, bearing on commerce. He proposed to deal with the subject briefly, under the following heads:—(l) The primary school in its relation to commercial education; (2) the secondary school in its relation to commercial education; (3) the evening continuation school in its relation to commercial education ; (4) the highest commercial college in its relation to commercial education; (5) commercial education in other countries, those selected specially being Hungary and Japan; {&) the relation of Chambers of Commerce to commercial education. It was the general opinion of educationalists who have studied this matter, that in the elementary stago there need not be any distinction in the training ox a boy destined for business and of another who may look forward to a professional or literary calling. It was only after the foundation of genera] education or culture had been laid that questions should arise as to teaching ordinary subjects so as to have a commercial application, and introducing oilier branches which were necessary to the proper equipment of those intended lor business. The nature and extent of such specialisation must depend upon the description of the business career aimed at, and the length of time which the pupils could remain at school or give to tho prosecution of study, after school. It was absolutely necessary that when a boy left the primary school ho should have a good knowledge of the three R's, whilst the advantages of a knowledge of drawing could hardly be overestimated. People were often heard to decry such subjects as elementary science and manual training as part of the primary school course, but there was no doubt that these subjects, taught on the right lines, provided invaluable training for the young. Passing on to secondary schools, Mr. George said it was of the utmost importance that these should be run on up-to-date lines. A classical education may have been excellent 100 years ago, but at the present time, which was aptly described as the engineering age, education required to be on more practical lines. At 14 or 15 years of age a boy should have made tip his mind as to his future trade or profession. Those intended for a business career should at this stage enter the commercial department of the school, the curriculum of which should embrace English, modern languages, history, geography, mathematics (all of these especially applied to commerce); commercial practice, commercial economics, bookkeeping, typewriting, shorthand, and science bearing upon raw materials. Tho majority of the pupils in this department would no doubt be unable to remain at school beyond 16 or 17 years of age, and it was quite likely that a number would -be compelled by circumstances to leave before reaching that age. In either case, after the pupil has actually commenced his business career, he should continue his studies at the evening continuation classes in connection with tho Technical School. For those who are able to devote the time, there should be a higher commer- ! cial college, which pupils would enter after > having completed i the commercial course at the higher-grade school. >.Tho form of education available should be of the. most advanced commercial type, and should be such as to enable a man on leaving the college, say, at 21 years of age, to undertake a position of the highest responsibility in the commercial world. The curriculum of such a college might embrace : (1) Modern languages, dealing with European, American, and Eastern markets; (2) commercial practice, including methods of exporting and importing goods, foreign tariffs, weights, measures, moneys, and exchanges, markets at home and abroad, and trade customs, the technicalities of commercial documents, commercial mathematics, accountancy, commercial correspondence in English and foreign languages, organisation of commerce, etc.; (3) thestudy of materials, including commercial and industrial geography and history, knowledge of products and industries, chemistry of materials, etc.; (4) the principles of commerce, including economics and statistics, commercial morality, banking, and _ currency; (5) commercial law, including civil and international law. If a technical college were provided for Auckland it would be possible to utilise the building in the. day time both as a higher grade school as well as a higher commercial college. Mr. George described the system of commercial education in vogue in Hungary, and also that so successfully carried on in Japan. The former, which dated back to the beginning of the eighteenth century, he described as excellent. The system of commercial schools was divided into three grades—commercial apprentice schools, commercial courses chiefly arranged for women, and secondary commercial schools or colleges. In addition there was the Oriental Commercial academy. Apprentice schools were established and maintained by the city councils, and their upkeep was defrayed by a special tax. Employers were liable to a' fine if they failed to send their clerks to these schools. There was one higher institution of learning in Hungary (Budapest), the purpose of which was to train young men for independent positions in tho commercial world, and for administrative offices, consular service, etc. It offered especially fine opportunities, for learning Oriental languages and commercial practice. Its course was one of two years. Admitted a3 regular students were (1) graduates of any secondary commercial school, (2) graduates of classical secondary schools, (3) commercial apprentices who havo had at least a four years' practice and could prove that they possessed the knowledge of graduates of a secondary commercial school. The students undertook annually journeys and voyages into Oriental countries to study the status and methods of export, and other things necessary for thorough men of commerce. The expenditures necessitated by these journeys, as well as all other costs of the school, were borne by the State. Japan was a nation that is very proininnentlv before the world just now, and one that has made such vast strides during recent years that a consideration of its commercial education should prove of interest. Commercial education was not a new subject in Japan, the first- commercial school having been started in 1875. At the present time there were three grades of commercial schools, viz.:—(l) Elementary commsreial school; (2) ordinary commercial school; (3) the higher commercial college. One and two were miinipical organisations, partly supported by the Central Government. A higher college was started in 1885. Students were sent to Antwerp and Paris, and returned as professors, the cost being defrayed by the Government-. The Higher College at Tokio was the finest in the world, containing over 500 students in April, 1902. talcing up a complete commercial course of an advanced nature, as well as 306 studying foreign languages in a special department. The average age of pupils was about 20. It was the only commercial college in the world, as far as he know, which taught commercial morality. Zensaku Sano, assistant director, visited America, and was astonished to find Americans did not know what commercial morality meant. , . , The latter part of the lecture dealt with the commercial education system at Home. New Zealand, he remarked, had hitherto been rather backward in this respect. He advocated united action" by the Chambers of Commerce in a scheme of commercial study in connection with evening classes at technical schools, to extend over a period of four ot six years, and to give preference, other things being equal, to applicants for positions as clerks, etc., who held technical school certificates. Mr. Mitchell moved. " That this meeting requests the council of the Chamber of Commerce to consider the advisability of setting up a sub-committee to report - on the best way in which the Chamber can identify itself with the furthering of the cause of education." Mr. A. Clark seconded, and the resolution was unanimously agreed to. Mr. Roberton said the Chamber of Commerce was very greatly indebted to Mr. George for his valuable address, and. he therefore proposed a hearty vote of thanks. The resolution was cordially adopted.