DUNEDIN TECHNICAL CLASSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15101, 25 March 1911, Page 9

DUNEDIN TECHNICAL CLASSES

ANNUAL PRIZE-GIVING.

Tho annual presentation of prizes and diplomas wen last year in the Duncdin Technical Classes was hold last evening in tho Rirly Settlers' Hall. A large 1 gathering of studonts and their friends fiilotl the building. Mr T. Scott (chairman of managers) presided, and thero were with ihirn on the .platform Professor D. R. White, Messrs G. 0. Israel, J. F. Arnold, M.l 1 .. G. M. Thomson, M.P., G. Simpson, •P. Goven, A. Bart, J. H. Wilkinson (members of the Board of Management), A. Marehall (director), and the Rev. G. H. Balfouir. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds, who had another.engagement, arrived at the meetins at a quarter-past 9. Tho Chairman said they had met that night previous, lo tho opening of the winter session of t'.io Technical Claese?. Tho gather iirjj had usually been .held at the end of tho session, but they wanted it to act to a certain extent-as an advertisement fey tl'.o snssion that was about to start. Thero wore ono or two thin#* that ho thought tho director might ha.vo' amplified more fully in his annual report. There was tho remarkable development of the school into a day school with 200 pupils,* It had never been anticipated that the day school would flourish so well. Why had it caught on as it had ,c'tone? Privats institutions high, schools were taking up similar work to that of the Technical sclipcl in its day clasps, but if they looked moro closely they would find that the private colleges went in more for the purely technical part of. it—typewriting and buokWping and rtimmeroial corrc-'poadionce. The high schools in more for the literary part of it—English and arithmetic. Their school was the only one in the Dominion that bound the whole of these in ono o:<urso. • 110 thought l that, was tho cause of their success. Tho great, demand of their day school was undoubtedly for commercial subjects, and it sosmod to him that tho Technical School occupied a midway position between tho private schools and the high schools. It wsg .the "working man's college," and that was the position it should always occupy— (Applause.), Ho did not think thero was another institution in' tho Dominion tlu\t taught the engineering course so thoroughly aml'oompletely as did tho Dunodin Technical School. Unfortunately tliey had been so much cramped for room that they had not been abla to provide tho amount of practice thr.t they rhoukl have done in turning. Thev had isow two more lathes, that. they wore going to fix in temporarily. "Ho trustee! that before many y.eais they would bo in their new school, and' in, a position to cater thoroughly for everyone. Ho 'had bjen delighted with the work of tho carpentry and cabinet-making classes, which had reached a very high standard last, year. Thero was r.o doubt that the school as_ it stood at present was totally • un'stiited for day classes. He referred to tho very gratifying receptions deputations of tho board had had from the various local bodies that were being asked, to subscribe to tlhe new building fund. They had no doubt that, thev would meet with further generous response, and in a short time would bo in a position to say to the Government, "Ilorc is tho £5000 wo have collected*. Now wo want your grant and wo will go straight on (with tho new school." 110 trusted that overyoim who had technical education at heart 'would assist them to attain their object. Tho Rev. G. 11. Balfour, who was very cordially received, said that ono could not but feel a great and deep interest in all kinds of duration that would help to make men and women in their characters andi in their usefulness To-day nations all over tlio world wero scrambling after edur cation. A friend ho had recently mot returning from the East had'told him that tho word heard everywhere, in Japan, in China, in Korea, was- "education." In Japan, fir instance, they had a common school system that was compulsory, and. there was probably a bigger average of boys and girls attending those common schools than there was in AW Zealand. The percentage was higher certainly than it was in Viotoriai China was not,'yet up to Japan in thin matter, but ho supposed that an paper China had 0.-rc of the most complete systems of education in the world, Tho.v had not been able to attain to anything liko tho ideals they lad set before them one thing they could pot get tcachers, and for another they had net' sufficiently realised tho' meaning of educa-tion--but they meant to perfect their theory and translate it ineo fact. So in Kovoiy they found the people, cogcr for education, and the poor peasants mg their own schools and teachers. It was well to know at the beginniii" what t hey woro aiming at' in BdticatiwC Behind all purely technical education thereought to he a general education of mind, education of tho imagination, education of tho soul. It was a, poor way of living to specialise and do nothing, else. —(Ai> plan®.) Wo ought to know something about everything and everything about something. He reminded them that when they wero doing their work that work was making them, tlo who scanned his work became a scamp, and h:; who did good work naturally hccamo a gcod man. Sometimes we imagined, perhaps that work was a tiresome thing, a, ncccssarv evil. No'.v God never gave us long hours of work, and God never meoot us to spend so much time at work—(" Hear, hear," and laughter)—unless that, work was going to liav.s some kind of effect on us. Somebody said "Hear, hear," "I wonder how long he works,' asked Mr Balfour, amid moro laughter. lie did Jiot think anybody worked very long in this country. God, he said, did not mean that work was a necessary evil; but that it was a. necessary good. Every man, from the king on his throno downward®, had to work, and ho was not fulfilling .his purpose in life either to his God or liis country or his fellow men or to himself unless lie was a worker. —(Applause.) Even if they failed to mate fortunes tho main thing after all was to produce character, and to do that they must work not simply at their trade but at themselves to produce the rounded, fully complete character. A very, wealthy employer in Melbourne, who owned several largo businesses, had told him that it was tremendously difficult, to secure employees in his business who wpuld out their" hearts into their work and who could bo absolutely trusted to do their best for their business. He said: "If I could get 'them they would soon rise to the top and be getting £1000, but I can't get them." He reminded them that tlwre was, always room at tho top, and concluded by expressing his very best wishoi -for tho prosperity ol tho Technical School.

Mr G. M. Thomson briefly addressed the gathering. He referred to tho early days of tho nfsnciation awl the great difficulties with which it had had to contend. He cited two very remarbblo. instanoM of brilliant Scientific research that had been carried out undor the most unfavourable conditions with only tho mcst contemptible instruments and equipment. With regard to tho new building schome, ho said tli.at ho intended to make an anneal to the 7000 students who. had passed' through their clngws during tho past 21 years, many of whom had benefited to a great extent from t.lta school. Ho was going to ask tho oditors' of tho papore to tako tho matter

up, and help {horn to put the matter through.

Mr J. F. Arnold also addressed the meeting. Tho Government, ho said, had always recognised 'the good work done by the Toonnieal School, and h« was satisfied it would do its best toonect the requirements of what was perhaps tho most' important town in tho Dominion.

Mr Fovlds arrived as tho cortificntos wero boing presented to those who wore entitled io receive them. Tho Chairman said that tho school was very much indobtod to tho department of which. Mr Fowlds was tho head. On every occasion on which they had approached tlio department they had been met. most fairly, and had had their wants attended to courteously and promptly. • , Mr Fowlds congratulated tho school on'/ th-9 work it had turned out and the various prize-winners on their sucotss. For the losers also ho had a word of cncouragefncnt. He urged them all to maintain tho high traditions of the school, and reminded tbem that tiieir exceptional privileges carried with them heavy responsibilities. Ho concluded with wishing tho school all success through tho coming year. The Minister then proceeded to the distribution of tho higher awards, tho full list of which was published at tho end of Inst, session. , The winners 'of . tho spocial chemistry, English, and physics prizes oamo first, and . these were followed by tho winners of senior and, junior diplomas, and of six certificates. The single -certificates wero distributed later by Mr Marshall and Mr ft. M. Thomson. The gathering gradually dispersed after Mr Fowlds had - been - verj heartily applauded for tho part ho ha< taken in tho meeting.