TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23556, 20 July 1938, Page 17

TECHNICAL COLLEGE

JUBILEE NEXT YEAR CELEBRATIONS DISCUSSED HISTORY OF EVENING CLASSES The golden jubilee of the commencement of evening classes of the King Edward Technical College was discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the College Board of Governors, when reports were furnished by the Appointments Committee and the principal (Mr W. G. Aldridge) It was stated that the completion of 50 years’ service in technical education' would take place in May, 1939, and the need for suitable observance of the occasion was stressed Present at the meeting were iVessrs J. J. Marlow (in the chair), J T. Paul. H. H. Johnson W D. Sutherland, W. G. Cocking, J. M. Patrick, F. L. Lawrence, Dr Gardner, Mrs W. Herbert, and Miss L, Sullivan.

Committee’s Recommendations The Appointments Committee introduced the question of the college’s jubilee in its report. It recommended that the fiftieth anniversary of the commencement of evening classes at the King Edward Technical College should be celebrated in May, 1939. and that, while the main emphasis would be upon the evening classes, inaugurated in 1889, both the Art School and the Technical High School should find their due place in the programme. It recommended .that the principal should write to Wellington inquiring the total cost of the celebrations held there at the end of 1938. and that the board then make application to Wellington for authority to incur expenditure upon the jubilee. It suggested that the board should nominate three of its number—the chairman, the chairman of the Appointments Committee, and Dr Gardner—as the nucleus of a set of committees including members of past and present staff, Parents’ Association, past students, in whose hands arrangements for tjie jubilee should be placed. Principal’s Report In his report concerning the observance of the jubilee, the principal (Mr Aldridge) stated that the system of evening classes was opened in Dunedin in May, 1889, and had continued uninterrupted ever since. As far as could be ascertained, it was the first permanent system in operation in New Zealand It was inspired by the effort and example of one man, under whose voluntary supervision it steadily grew for 11 years, and had depended entirely upon continuous local and voluntary effort From the first it was remarkable for the high quality of the teachers and its connection with the Art School and the University, It would seem a matter of civic duty to celebrate by some function the inauguration of an association which not only became the King Edward Technical College, but also set an example to New Zealand. The fact that the Wellington Technical College celebrated its jubilee in 1936, the report continued, might lead one to suppose that Dunedin was not first in the field; but the explanation was that Wellington began as a School of Design in 1886. and not until 1894 did additional classes open. The Dunedin School of Art opened in 1870. Although it was carried on under Education Board control, for nearly 50 years it worked in such harmony with the Technical Classes’ Association that Mr Hutton’s art classes were from the beginning advertised as though they were part of the scheme of evening classes conducted by the association. The jubilee would serve to bring out the clear priority of Dunedin in both art and evening class work, and the Appointments Committee recommended that the Art School, which had now been incorporated with the college for 18 years, should have its due share in the jubilee functions. Three Sections The main difficulty which the committee saw in planning for the jubilee, the report stated, was to ensure that the right emphasis should be placed upon the three sections of the work now carried on —Art School, Evening School, and Technical High School. In the first generation, from 1889 to 1914, very little corporate life was offered to its students by the Technical Classes’ Association, and for only a short part of that time even a common building; but the city took a warm interest in the classes, for without local support they could not have been carried on for most of that time This generation of effort had not been forgotten, and should fittingly be remembered at the jubilee, but it would require special care to bring it into the open. It should, if possible, be given pride of place. The second generation, the report stated, centred round the present buildings in Stuart street, and was marked by full Government support. the acquisition of a full-time staff, the incorporation of the Art School, the rise of the Technical High School, and a general increase in the size of the institution Of this generation of effort, there were thousands of student:- for corresponding hundreds in the previous one. It was the committee’s considered opinion that all such should be welcomed as sharing in the destiny of the whole institution. The report, in conclusion stated that to blend into a joint act of commemoration the many diverse elements which, taken together represented the living testimony to 50 years of effort, the committee was in favour of a number of committees beingr formed, by incorporating in a central nucleus members of past and present staff, past students, and members of the Parents’ Association. As the date suggested for the jubilee was May, 1939, work upon the genera] plan should begin without delay. IMPORTANCE OF THE ANNIVERSARY

Moving the adoption of the reports of the committee and the principal, Mr Paul emphasised the great importance of the anniversary in the history of the college. The college had already built up a great tradition and the iubilee offered a further opportunity to strengthen that tradition. He briefly outlined the history of the college and stated that it was the board’s duty to see that steps were taken to observe in fitting manner the important anniversary He expressed the hope that everything possible would be done to make the iubilee an outstanding success and a notable milestone in the college’s history. The motion was carried. JOINT COMMITTEE The Joint Committee reported that it had received an admirable collection of aeroplane models from Mr

W. R. Duke and was considering an offer to mount them suitably. It had also received a small steam engine, the gift of the Salmac Insulation Company Ltd. It recommended that Mr J Rogers be appointed senior caretaker with the responsibility of reporting upon caretakine work of the other two janitors and that his salary be increased. The report was approved and it was decided that Mr Duke and Salmac Insulation Company, Ltd., be thanked for their gifts. FINANCE Accounts amounting to £ 403 9s and salaries totalling £ 1342 0s 4d were passed for payment.