MANUAL INSTRUCTION AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10600, 21 February 1896, Page 3

MANUAL INSTRUCTION AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

The committee appointed by the Education Board to consider the Manual and Technical Education Act of last session yesterday reported ss follows :—

We, the committee appointed to report a». to whether the boird should avail themselves of the provisions of the " Manual and Technical -"education Act ISDS." and if they think they should do so to suggest a scheme, have the honour to report aa follows :—

Aftei' careful consideration, and having conferred with the Committee of Management of tbe technicil classes, we have arrived at certain conclusions, and havo tbe honour to report as follows ;—

In the set the distinction between manual instruction and technical instruction is clearly drawn. As used in the act tbe term "minual instruction" means instruction " in tbe practical handling of tools and in tho actual construction of models and other articles in wood, metal, clay, or othor material"; while " technical instruction" is defined to mean "instruction on the principles of acieucc and art applicable to industries aod in the application of speci-il branches of science and art to sp.cilic industries and employments, it does .-not exclude such instruction in the u-e of tools and appliances as is necessary to the full illustration of the application of any branch cf science of art to any specific iudustry or employment." This distinction is maintained throughout the act, " manual instruction" and "technical instruction" being dealt with in ontirfly .different ways. "Manual instruction" is to be given iv tbe primary schools either (1) as an integral part of the ordinary nchool courie, as if tbat subject had been included in the list of subjects prescribed in the S4th section of the act, or (2) outside of the ordinary school hours, either by teachers belonging to the school or by au instructor specially appointed by the board and approved by the.Minister. In the former cisc no extra allowance is to be made for tbe subject of manual instruction; in the latter ca.e an allowance is to be made " for every unit of the average attendance at such instruction," the allowance being 2s (11 for the quarter, and in couutry districts :j. 9d. "Couutry districts" is defined to mean "any locality no less than five miles distant from a town or borough of more than 5000 inhabitants." Now, with regard to the provision for manual tusiructiou in the ordinary school hours, ti-.e first question that arises is whether the Minister proposes to make any modifications in the present standard requirements. On communicating with the Inspector-general on the point, we were informed that " it ls not proposed to omit any part of the standard syllabus in consideration of any manual instruction given in public schools." In these circumstance* we should never think of recommending that manual instruction vhould be added, apart from all consideration..; of expanse, Ac. As to the general question of the desirability of introduciug manual instruction,, we are of opinion, that if a scheme could bs devised and carried out in which such instruction could be so conducted as to form an integral part of the general education of the pupil, and not for tho purposes of imparting the principles of any trade, it would be of the utmost importance to iiiiroduce it as a part of the primary school course. But we are of opinion that tlie great expense that would necessarily be entailed upon tbe board hy any scheme that would be at all adequate renders it quite impracticable .to undertake the subject under ths present act. It will be admitted that unless the matter is taken in hand properly ifc wero best left alone altogether, h ecauKu a great deal of money might be frittered away to very little purpose. A scheme of. manual instruction issued by ihe Committee of tbe Council on Education (Sucked) liaß been brought under our notice by the Education department, and there can be no doubt that if such a course of instruction as is there laid down conld be carried out it would be of the greatest advantage But the expense of providing the necessary work rooms, tools, and apparatus, together with skilled instructors, would be such as to be entirely beyond the means proposed to be supplied to boards for carrying out such work. Such instruction, to be of any use in the process of education, must bo conducted on scientific principles, and to this cud skilled instructors ara absolutely necessary. We are aware that it is a common notion that . manual" and "technical" instruction consists in children boing taught by au ordinary carpenter, or even by an amateur, to make smull articles, such as knife-boxes, book-shelves, Ac, but this shows a complete misconception of the whole subject. The conclusion we have come to, then, with regard to " manual ■ instruction" is that it is not practicable to undertake it under the act.

As to " technical education " tho act authorises education boards to establish classes for technical instruction entirely apart from the course of public instruction, and to charge fees. It also makes provision for allowing any society or committee (such os the Technical Classes Association of Dunedin), or any instructor approved by tbe Minister, to establish such classes. An allowance is to be made at the rate of ls 3d for the quarter for every unit of average attendance if the class is held for an hour a week or 10 weeks during the quartet; the allowance increasing by ls 3d fbr every additional hour. In country districts the allowance is ls 10Jd instead of ls 3d. It is to be noted that under this provision the Technical Classes Association would not be entitled to receive this allowance in the event of the board establishing classes in Dunediu. By the act the total amount to be appropriated in any one year for tbe purposes of the act for the whole colony is not to exceed .£2OOO. We arti of opinion that in view of the fact that the establishment of classes in Dunedin by the board would render it impossible for the Technical Classes Association to cany on, the board should not do anything to interfere with the operations of the association until the board are in a position to establish something more complete. As to tbe countrp districts, we cannot make any general recommendation, as it seems to us that each case must be dealt with on its merits.

J. MacGueook. J. GnEEN. M. Cohen.

In moving the adoption of the report, Mr MaoGeegoe stated that it was a matter for regret that the committee should fiud themselves compelled to report in such terms, because it was an admission on the part of the committee—and he was afraid the board would also have to make the admission—that for the board at all events this Manual and Education Act waß to be of no service. The limiting of the amount to be expended in any ono year to £2000 over all the colony wonld simply make the aot useless, and it might as well nofc have been passed. Probably attempts would ba made to establish manual and technical instruction in some parts of the colony aod in connection with the board's schools, but he was convinced that it could not succeed unless the subjects were taken up on a proper foundation, and that meant an expense such as this Act did not make provision for. He hoped the subject would come up again before long, aud that the board would be able to adopt some scheme that would pive satisfaction.

Mr Guben seconded the motion. He was very pleased to be able to endorse fully the remarks of the mover. He was quite certain that any attempt on the part of the board to carry out the provisions of tho act without the necessary funds would be positively injurious. Mr Boßßiis said the report was entirely on the lines that he approved of. It seemed to him, as things were at present, that technical classes should be carried on by tbe association at present carrying them on. They got the same revenue out of the grant for the purpose that tbe board got, and they were in a better position than tho board to carry on classes, as things were at present. Mr Cohen was quite satisfied that the sum allocated for the purpose of manual and technical education was wholly inadequate. It was, however, satisfactory to know th»t there was an indention to deal with this matter properly and aduquatdy. The motion for the adoption of the report was theu put and carried.

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