THE BOY'S FUTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 10

THE BOY'S FUTURE.

CHANCES FOR APPRENTICES.

A HEADMASTER'S' OPINION.

Tho disinclination on the part of parents to have their boys apprenticed to trades was 'mentioned by the headmaster, Mr. Noel Gibson, at the prize-giving ceremony at tho Dilworth Institute last evening. Mr. Gibson said that for some years he had spoken to parents individually about this matter, but ho found an almost blind desire for boys to go to the Grammar School for however short a time, and when asked for a reason, he seldom got any reply beyond a reiteration of the wish.

" We have reached the position now where it will often happen that a boy will win his proficiency certificate at a fairly early age," continued the headmaster, " but it does not therefore follow that he has the capacity to take successfully a University course, and unless tin's is likely to be the caso, an extra year or two at school were much more profitably spent at a technical college. And what then ? lam cuiite sure that many of your boys would do exceedingly well in some of the skilled trades. Both labour representatives and employers have told me tliat one of our greatest needs at present is the properly-trained journeyman— the man who has served a proper apprenticeship to his trade."

Mr. Gibson said he was aware of cer tain difficulties pertaining to the appven ticeship system, at the present time, bui they were not insuperable so far as the apprentice was concerned, and he thought that he was right in saving that in the various branches of the building trade in particular there was and would be for many years in this country plenty of work for the skilled journeyman. The prospects were at least as good as and in some «isos better than those which faced the majority of lads who sought the (more popular work to be found in offices. There was greater certainty of work, less responsibility, and often better pay ahead of the skilled builder or other craftsman than there was ahead of many clerks, and indeed, some professional men. Moreover, to one who was interested there must be a. world of pride and pleasure in seeing the actual products of one's work well done. We needed a little more pride in craftsmanship.