INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 957, 4 July 1890, Page 19

INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.

Mr A. D. Riley, manager of the School of Desigo, gave one of his interesting, and at the' same time instructive, leotures on Industrial Education at the Central Hall MonU- day nighti There were »bout2oo persons present, including a number of members of Parliament. ■The chair was occupied by the Hon T. W. Hislop, Minister of‘Education, and on the platform were also Dr Newman, M.H.R., Messrs R. P; Johnson,' W. F. Fraser, Habeas, and W. Cliff. The Chairman read an apology for the absence of Mr J. R. Blair, Chairman of the Education Board, who was unavoidably prevented from bein<* present. 3 The Hon Mr Hislop, in introducing Mr Riley, asked the auoieuoe to give him a caresui and patient heaiiug, adding that he (the Cnairiiihc) would reserve f t himself the privilege of any further remarks till alter the •■onolusion of the le' ture. * r hiley, who v-as rtco ved with ap. p’ause, prefaced his lecture by saying that Ins views up n the subjuot of Industrial Education were based upon his own ex. perienoe, and for the last 12 years ite tuition hart been a pleasure and study. He com sitiered drawing to be the ba-is of industrial training, and destined it as one of the most powerful means of c-iouthe perceptive faculties.. The *u t lions of drawing, Mr Rihy said, were to train the eye tc seo correctly, to tfau, toe men ory to retain what the eye sue , and o trtin the hand to eapresa wiiut the memory has retained. The study would induce thoueht. ingenuity, and inventions on the part of the scholar/ To be able to draw was likely to ensuro a living, for he considered before long not to bo able to draw would be aa disgraceful as it now is not to be able to read or write. According to a French Imperial Commission the study .was considered to have the fob lowing effects-To shorten the apprentice stage of mechanical life, and so prove an economy of materials as well as of effective

industry. It increased the value of all mechanical labour by the habits of acouraoy and dexterity with whioh it furnished the boy emerging from school life. As to how this education was to be brought about and what system should be adopted, Mr Riley said a progressive course of instruction was necessary for all schoo’s.fromprimary to secondary and thence to schools of technics and art. There were many persons, unfortunately, who considered this subject totally unfitted for ordioary sohool life, but those persons, ho said, were decidedly not progressive edu. nationalists. Geometry was practically the basis of all drawing, and this was one of the main instructions in primary schools. Drawing to eoale and model drawing were of great importance to every workman. He was firmly of opinion that school life was not made sufficiently interesting. Modelling has been introduced, he was glad to say, in the syllabus about to be issued .to the schools of this distriot. The value of this instruction as a relief to school work would soon be apparent, because every article copied would bo more or less decorated. At present New Zealand im] ported thousands of pounds annually of goods that received most of their value from tho ornamentation bestowed upon them. Ac the population increased, so would the industries; new occupations would be opened up for girls as well as hoys. He maintained it was just as necessary for a boy to study drawing in the secondary schools as in the primary, because it would be quite as useful. The course of study at present consists of three sections instrumental, freehand, and modelling. The first deals with plain geometrical construction, plans, elevations, and projections; tbe next, building construction and architectural drawing, machine drawing and construction. Here Mr Riley give a number of drawings on the blackboard as examples, arid in conclusion referred to the position of the Australian colonies in reference to industrial education as compared with New Zealand. He did not, however, mean to say that we in New Zealand could establish such large central sohemes as the other colonies, but maintained we could have drawing in our primary schools and require a continuance of it in the seoondary schools ; establish industrial classes under the same progressive course, and ask that our museums secure the best English and foreign specimens of the industries dominant in the district. He thought the growth of the Colony points to the future presenoe of a large population, and Bharp competition would ensue for the means of subsistence. Let manual labour become a matter of skill, and labour would tnen become, as it should be, au .huiiornuie calling. Mr Riley resumed his seat amidst loud applause. Mr W. F. Fraser moved, “That the Federated Trades Council should urge upon all affiliated unions the desirableness of taking advantage of industrial daises. Dr Newman, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr Riley, said that when the appointment of Mr Riley was first made it was looked upon as a scandalous shame, but he did not think the same would be said now. It every little school throughout the Wellington district ohildren from 13 years upward had been taught. A labourer, Dr Newman said, must now cease to be a mere labourer. He must be educated, and the young New Zealander if he does not get this tution would have to take a back place in the raoe for life. Tho success which had attended Mr Riley’s efforts had been very remarkable. Some of the exhibits bad been sent to South Kensington ar d won honours. Mr Riley, in acknowledging the compliment, said that if he had contributed to the success of industrial education he had been sufficiently well paid. It had been a pleasure to him that he had done some little good.

Mr W. Cliff moved the following resolution—“ That this meeting is desirous of furthering industrial education in this district, and asks the Minister : 1. If he will do his utmost to further the Bill now before the House, asking that the site of the Sohool of Design shall be changed to Te Arc, where it will be more accessible to artisans. 2. If he will place the sum of £IOOO at the disposal of the School of Design Committee, for the purpose of oarrying out Mr Riley’s suggestions.”

Mr R. P. Johnson, in the ab ence of Mr Graham, President of the Trades and Labour Council, moved the next resolution as follows :—“ That the Minister for Education be thanked for presiding, and that this meeting respectfully urge the honorable gentleman to establish a system of industrial eduoation for the Colony, in order that our artisans may not be behind those of other colonies, or even of the Mcther Country.” The Hon Mr Hislop said that he would have to De very careful what he said. With regard to the Bill, however, he hoped it would go through this session. The first step, he pointed out, would be tho proper establishment of classes in this city. With regard to thii the Minister pointed out that P<. r iameut v. as iu the habit of helping those wlio helped themselves, and it would not, therefore, he said, be asking too much for tbe people here to show their sincerity. He could a sure i.hem that Pa?liam''Dt wiraid give more assistance to those who were siuci-ro ttian to those who were apathetic. Tbe matter had reoived oaretul consideration by tbe Gove ament, who would uo doubt do all they could. The meeting then terminated.