TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15124, 15 October 1912, Page 4

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

PROGRESS IN AUCKLAND. TEN YEARS IN REVIEW. NEED FOB STATE ASSISTANCE. Ix the course of an interview with. Mr. George George, director cf technical education and manual training for tho Auckland district, a Herald representative learned yesterday that it was exactly 10 years ago since Mr. George commenced his duties in Auckland, having arrived in the steamer Ventura on October 14, 1902. " When I arrived," said Mr. George, " I found that thero were only about 30 students attending technical classes in Auckland, which were 'being held in a building in Rut-land-street which had originally been built for a boot factory. Although I had travelled widely in Europe and in America, I had never seen technical classes carried on under such conditions, and was not surprised to find that tho classes were so poorly patronised. I remember particularly that both tho painting and plumbing classes were carried on in a room of about the size of a ship's two-berth cabin. I spent tho first few weeks of my arrival in endeavouring to get local information, and on all sides the reports I received as to tho necessity for technical education in Auckland wero most discouraging. One gentleman informed mo that I should not remain in Auckland for a twelvemonth, as there would lx> nothing for mo to do. 'The colonial youths,' said he, ' are wedded to sport, such as racing and football, and they hare no need, in their own-estimation, for technical training.'"

Improving the Accommodation. " Under these discouraging circumstances, what did you do?" Mr. George was asked- ! '" Well, the first thing was to find out for myself if better facilities in the way of instruction* wero provided, whether thero would be a satisfactory response on the part of tho Auckland youth. With this end in view, tho old building in Rutland-street was renovated, and an additional iron building erected at tho back of it. Tho loan of two class-rooms at the Wellesley-strcet School was also obtained, as at. that time the number of pupils in attendance at that school was considerate below its accommodation. All < hose 'rooms were refurnished and equipped, and an official opening of the school took place in the City Council Chamber on March 25, 1903. The chamber was packed with representative citizens, and after the opening ceremony tho visitors went over the Rutland-street building, and also tho rooms in the Wellesley-street School. The classes opened that evening, and it was soon seen that tliere was likely to bo a good response on the part of students. As a matter of fact, the number of individual students enrolled that session was 322, and the number of class entries 763." Growth of Manual Training. "Your position is director of manual training as well as of technical education. How did you find this branch of education on your arrival in Auckland?" queried the interviewer.

"As a matter of fact it was practically non-existent. Except for two small classes in woodwork, which were held in connection with the Dcvonport and Ilomuora public schools respectively, manual training in woodwork had not been introduced into the public schools of (lie Auckland district, neither- had any instruction in domestic science, such as cookery and laundrywork, been given to girls. One of the first reports which I made to the Education Board, about a month after I arrived, was to recommend tho erection of manual training schools at Newton, Newmarket, and Tonsonby respectively, each one of which was to provide instruction in manual training and domestic science for pupils of tho upper standards of the half-dozen or so public schools in tho vicinity. Those schools were opened in the following July (1903), and at the outset there was very great opposition to such subjects as cookery and woodwork being taught to pupils at tho primary schools. The opposition from the teachers was chiefly on account of the time taken from the ordinary school curriculum, whilst many parents objected, considering that they were quite able to teach cookery to their daughters themselves, whilst others did not wish their boys to receive training in woodwork, under the impression that we wero training them to become carpenters. Such opposition is now practically a thing of tho past; the proof of the pudding is in tho eating, and the work done in theso manual training schools began to be appreciated as soon as it had been in force long enough to show its value and practical results. Many aro the unsolicited letters of appreciation that the teachers and myself have received from tho parents of pupils who have passed through tho schools-

"During the intervening years since the establishment of the manual training schools in Auckland, others havo been erected at ■Thames, Whangarei, Hamilton, Cambridge Otahuhu, Fukekohe, Devonport, Helensviile, and Waihi, whilst others aro contemplated in the'near future at Te Aroha, Tanranga le Kopuru, Durgaville, Paparoa, Waipu, and Maungaturoto.

" At tho present time there are upwards of 2000 girls receiving instruction in cookery and laundry work in these centres, and an even greater number of boys taking manual training in woodwork." A Big Increase in Students. " Can you give me some idea as to how technical education has progressed in Auckland since you took charge of the work?" "As I have already stated, during the first year that I was in Auckland the number of students attending evening technical classes" increased to 322. This has steadily increased until for tho present session, including students attending tho day classes, tho number of individual students enrolled at, tho Auckland Technical College is about 1500. For the first few years after I came to Auckland there seemed very little prospect, of our getting a permanent 'building in which to carry on our classes, and various rented and temporarily erected buildings, more or less unsuited to tho purpose, were made use of to supply the growing demands for students. Eventually the Auckland Savings Bank generously donated a sum of £10,000 towards the erection of a new building, and this was supplemented by donations from citizens amounting to nearly £3000. All these sums carried £ for & subsidy from the (lovernment. and as a result, after almost interminable delays, the new Technical College in Wellesley-street East will shortly be ready for occupation. Tho contract for this building, I may say, was let in May, 1909, and the building was to have been completed in 18 months from that date, so that the contract, which has just been completed, was practically two years overdue. "As you are no doubt, aware, the original building contemplated was a five-storeyed one, but when tenders wore called it was found that there was only sufficient rnonor available to complete three of these, and as tho then Minister for Education, the Hon. fksorgo Fowlds, was unwilling to come to our assistance in providing the necessary funds for the additional two storeys, the Board had nothing elso to do but to spend the money as far at it would go." More Accommodation Wanted. "When the three storeys of th« new college are ready for occupation, I presume you will have ample accommodation for your present requirements?" "No; unfortunately that is not the case For evening classes wo shall still have to make use of other buildings, which wo arc at present renting. It is most, disheartening Uiat after my 10 years' work in Auckland the new college should not have been completed so as to house at least the present students. Tho past Governments have seemed most unwilling to do anything for Auckland except in the way of* £ for £ subsidy on local contributions, and I see that, the attitude of the present Government, as voiced by tho Minister for Education, is in the same direction. On the other hand, during the past fivo years or so Chnstohurch lias received ' Government grants, apart from subsidies, for the Technical College buildings and equipment amounting to upwards of £15,000. It would now appear that the only chance of our getting the college completed is from local effort " Do I understand that technical classes have been confined to tho city cf Auckland i" x

"Oh, no. At the present time technical classes are held in Thames, Waihi, Whanr<arei, Cambridge, Helensvillo, Hamilton, Paeroa, and Te Aroha." Instruction in Agriculture. "Has anything been done in the matter of providing instruction in agriculture?" " Yes- Since. I came to Auckland over 500 teachers have attended special courses in agriculture, in order to qualify them for teaching in their schools, and at tho present time elementary agriculture and nature study is taught in upwards of 160 schools in the Auckland district. Some years ago I wrote a report on agricultural education for tho Auckland district, and advocated tho training of primary school teachers, so that elementary agriculture could bo taught in tho primary_ school, and also the_ establishment of agricultural schools. 1 tried my best to get such a school established at Hamilton, where a. piece of land of five acres was donated for tho purpose, but my efforts were ..unsuccessful, and a HigTi School was established instead. We havo also an agricultural department in connection with the Technical College, and hopo that this will bo better patronised now that _ there is a prospect of obtaining a portion of the Chinamen's gardens' in Parnell for experimental purposes," " Do you find that the work of the Technical College is appreciated by employers, and that thero is a growing demand for techni-cally-trained students?" •'Undoubtedly. As a matter of fact, the demand for Technical College {students is greater than the supply. In commercial work especially, we are quite unable _to supply the demand. I am constantly being informed, too, of old students of tho collego obtaining positions which they would have been unqualified for except for their training at the college." ''Do you consider the prospects of technical education in Auckland in the futuro bright or otherwise?" ■" I am sorry to say that I do not loo! V--ward to the" future of technical edue '■'"•n in Auckland with any gTeat degree of enthusiasm, as it is quite impossible to meet the growing demands of the city without the provision of proper buildings and equip* ment, and there seems little prospect for this unless some at present unknown benefactor arises. The attitude of the Government appears to be to leave it to local effort, whilst the local people consider it a matter for the Government. Of this I. am convinced, thero is no better raw material in the world than you will find amongst tho youth of Auckland."