EDUCATION OF BOYS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4484, 11 October 1901, Page 2

EDUCATION OF BOYS.

Mr John PHmmer, Father of Wellington writes: —The . cry of what shall we do with our' boys has been asked often and still remains unanswered. It appears to me, that the people and legislators do not understand the importance of the question. I have’ 1 asked myself this question over and over again, and I still come back to the same conclusion. In as few words as I can I will tell what that is; hut I will explain .my reasons for the answers. The first thing to consider is that our hoys of to-day must of neces. sity become in a few years the men of their day, to whom we shall have to resign not ohly the government of pur grand young colony, but of all the agriculture and business matters of the country! We should,, therefore', be very care, ful that they should be brought up in the. most certain way to fulfil the duties that will of necessity devolve upon them. We must carefully examine the present, to make up our mind what occupations are likely to be the most useful for the prosperity and the welEbeing of the colony and the rising generation for the next twenty or thirty years. There is in ■my mind no doubt that agricultural ajid pastoral pursuits .will be the most prosperous and beneficial businesses. The reason of this is that wool and butter re. quire but little labour to produce-them, and there are open markets in England an ( ] other old established places, as well as in new countries such as Africa will be for many years, willing to receive and pay good paying prices for them, till they are able to grow grow enough for .themselves, which will not be for some, years to come. The growing of cereals, : such as wheat and oats, requires much labour, and therefore much more encouragement and support. The land laws sot in force by the Seddpn Government have laid, a good foundation for the agriculturists to build this business upon. They want the proper ma. terials to build with, which is labour. Now, it is well known that machinery and girls have nearly absorbed all that used to be boy labour in all cities and towns of tho colony, so that boys, instead of being employed as-they were used to-be ■employed.: can find nothing to do. Could not these boys who are now running to. waste, and are to become tho men in a few years, be taken in hand by the Government and be taught and encouraged to become the farmers of this productive. country ? They can never learn this or anything else that .will be equally useful to all of them as long as they are taught in classes as they arc at present. It might .be that a few whoso parents are . circumstanced that they can afford to send them to college; may become lawyers or doctors, but we are already overstocked in both of these callings. The children of the working classes' on ghfc; to lie taught to • read v w rite and calculate till they arc 12 or: 13 years old and then sent to technical schools for two years to learn the theoiy and the use of the, tools they will have'to use in what-: ever business .they may fill in the future.’ At the end of two years’they should be bound apprentice to whatever, trade they may be most suitable' 1 for,, and such wages .paid to them-as they are worth., This .would he a great-blessing where there, arc largo families, :for instead of being , a ■burden to their parents they would soon become an aid to them and after a time would become‘useful citizens and would set at rest -and answer the question— What shall we do with our boys?