TECHNICAL CLASSES ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14243, 18 June 1908, Page 2

TECHNICAL CLASSES ASSOCIATION

<» Tlie ordinary meeting of of Managers of the Technical School was held, yesterday afternoon; present—Messrs 0. M. Thomson, (chairman). T. Scott, \V. Scott, J. F. Arnold, M.P., D. K. Eunson, and A. Sligo. Apologies were received from ilaata G. (J. Israel aud J. H. Walker. Tenders wcro opened for additions and alterations to tlio school building, as previously decided upon, and tenders for oloeiric light installation wore also opened. For these works tlio 6um of £1100 had ken allocated, but the lowest tondors received totalled up to £1800, and it was decided to hold over acceptance in the meantime of auy tender, it was also resolved, on tho motion of Mr W. Scott, seconded by Mr U. It. Eunson, that tho chairman (or a substitute) and Mr J. F. Arnold, ALP., be appointed a deputation to wait on tiio Minister of Education in Wellington and request that iui extra sum of £700 be voted for the works; Mr Arnold, if possible, to arrango for an interview on Friday, July 3. In regard to the deposits, it was decided to return these to tenderers, except those of the three lowest for additions and alterations and the three lowest for electrio Light installation. Mr J. F. Arnold, M.P., was granted three mouths' leave of absence for the parliamentary session. THE NEW ItEGULATIOXS. Mr A. Marshall reported as follows en tho new regulations:— In accordance with the instruction of the lust meeting, hereunder is given an outline of the financial effect of tho regulations issued on April 2, 1908. 1. Under regulation 45, Commercial classes are defined, and the department has intimated that typewriting and shorthand taken together are not sufficient to constitute a technical subject, and consequently the attendances ■ at tho subjects will now be paid lor at the lower capitation rate. Taking last year's figures tho deduction under this head amounts to £07. 2. In the case of commercial classes, in order to entitle the association to capitation at the rate paid for technical subjects students .must now attend for not less than two hours a week throughout tho year. This implies that pupils shall enter at the beginning of the session and not leave before the finish. But there'are many studcuts who tail to do so. Taking last year's figures tho deduction amounts to JKt. This regulation also implies that classes will be held throughout the year—say three terms of 36 weeks, and this would lend to increase materially the deduction just mentioned. 3. Regulation 58 limits the size of classes lo 40 lor theoretical instruction, and 25 for practical instruction. It is not clear whether or not these restrictions apply to continuation subjects and to commercial subjects. If classes for practical work in such subjects as commercial correspondence, bookkeeping, and commercial arithmetic arc to he limited to 25 pupils each; then cdditional teachers will be required, thus involving an increased expenditure for salaries. 4. Ufflier regulation 77 the instruction received by free place holders must have reference to a definite scheme of instruction. In tho past a free pupil taking a definite coureo of say commercial work has been permitted also to take up some subject bearing on her life's work, say: —cookery, dressmaking, woodcorving; but now capitation will not bo paid on tho attenda-nces made by such a pupil. Taking last year's pupils tho deduction works out to approximately £13. o. Under regulation 30 it is stated that for a student taking' a commercial course payment shall not be made for more than 400hrs in the year. 'Ihe old regulation to the end of tlie present year allowed payment for SOOhrs, so that in the case oi the day technical schools the reduction amounts to approximately £5 per head. In the day technical schools at least three-fourths of the pupils take a commercial course, aud I estimate that the three larger schools at present in operation will suffer reductions under this head alone of sums varying from iaOO to £fOO per annum. Summarising tlw position, I consider that notwithstanding these reductions and tho probablo increaso of expenditure, it will still be possible to carry on our classes on slightly modified linos. With a day technical school, however, the reduced capitation for commercial subjoets will lead to more attention being given to strictly technical subjects. Up to the present the commercial subjects have furnisiied the funds for carrying on the day schools whose funds will bo now seriously reduced by the chango in the regulations. Mr T. Scott '(thought/an effort should bo mado to get the old! capitation for tho present year. Mi- Marshall, referring to the rcßulations, said the effect would be to kill commercial' classes, and if the wish of tho department was to encourage tho teaching of strictly technical subjects increased" capitation allowances should bo given. Mr Arnold said ho thought that what was in tho mind of tho Minister at the time tho regulations woro framed was tliat an effort should be made to reduoe, where possible, the rapidly increasing expenditure on general education, and to compel more attention to bo devoted to strictly technical teaching. Mr \V. Scott said he thought it was essential to a complete system that some provision should bo made for day school instruction in commercial matters after pupils left tlie primary echools, and the ■high schools did not satisfactorily fill this want. It was no doubt true that the teaohing of typewriting and shorthand was being abused; but that was not the case with other commercial subjects. Mr Arnold: Technical education must, of necessity, be chiefly confined to night schools. It was resolved—" That, the ckainnoai and Mr Arnold, together with tho director (Mr A. Marshall), -be. appointed to wait on the Minister of Education in Wellington to discuss the new regulations.''