The New Zealand Times SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1926. NEW ZEALAND TALENTS AND CAREERS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12394, 13 March 1926, Page 4

The New Zealand Times SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1926. NEW ZEALAND TALENTS AND CAREERS

In a country of equal opportunities—like this Dominion—all the careers are open to all the talents. To encourage this is. one of the aims of the educational system. The working of that system is beginning to show how the talents of the Dominion are availing themselves of the' encouragement, which has its beginning in the schools. Figures quoted the other day by Sir James Parr tell us how the 5000 young people who left school last year have -settled, the great question of the careers, open to them. It is, of course, patent that in this matter the choice is often more the choice of the parents than of the young people. So it has always been, for the most part, and so it will be always. Therefore the question of the responsibility for the choice need not be discussed. The choice is the main fact—and always will be. From the list of percentages, three points stand out prominently: (1) Of the 5000 leaving high schools and technical schools last year, i per cent, of the boys chose, to study law; (2) 19 per cent, selected agriculture; (3) of the girls, 57 confined themselves to “domestic work.’’ > Fear has long been expressed throughout the Dominion that the wide entrance now open to the legal profession may swamp the country with briefless lawyers. And certainly the throngs of legal students gave some justification. Blit the census taken by the heads of the above institutions, at the Minister’s request, is somewhat reassuring. The 1 per cent, of law choice shows that the common-sense of the people has seen the danger of'over-crowding, and very prudently has declined to face it. Sir James said, in his comment, that 50 new lawyers a year are likely to be as much as the 'profession can stand for some years to come. Eminently right is he. _ We can also readily join in his hope that the percentage of agricultural choice may quickly grow larger. In face of , the 90 per cent, of the primary industries, a yearly educational recruitment of 19 does not encourage, the belief in our progressive agriculture. Neither does it seem more than trifling with a great question. There is here, however, a difficulty thtit does not meet the eye looking over these percentages. It is the difficulty of'getting land for the agriculturists to practise agriculture on. Mr McLeod has recently told the public why it is difficult to get land for increasing settlement. We can only conclude that when the difficulty becomes less acute the number of vocational selections of Agriculture may be more* numerous. If the Government can do anything in this line.uwe hope they, will do it quickly. The 57’ per cent, of girls who have declared for home and domestic work is a proof the feminine desire to achieve independence is not going: to run away with the maternal instincts Ot the women just yet,_ Only 1 per cent, of them elected for the Government service against 16 per cent, of the boys. 'The girls’ percentage's likely to be larger ; that of the boys is too large. On the whole, the figures show that Young New Zealand is going through the gate of career selection with good sense.