ESTABLISHMENT URGED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27389, 15 May 1950, Page 7

ESTABLISHMENT URGED

Institute Of Technology PA WELLINGTON, May 12. The immediate establishment of an institute of .technology was urged by the New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association at its conference today. Delegates also decided to press for the right of adequate representation of the association on any preliminary investigating body that might be appointed. The conference adopted the report of the special committee which criticised the report of the Consultative Committee on the training of professional engineers. "We feel strongly,” the report said, “ that qualification in engineering should not be exclusively by university degree, and that there is a field for the technical college in the training of professional engineers. The importance to the community of many engineers who qualify through engineering institutions rather than by degree should not'be overlooked. We feel certain that the simultaneous study of practice and theory has its own particular merits and results in a very valuable type of professional engineer. “ We heartily concur with the statement that it is essential that a channel should be maintained whereby men with inherent ability and who cannot, through force of circumstances, attend university should be enabled to attain professional status” Presenting the report, Mr W. W. Stirling, a member of the committee, said that in 1938 only about half the professional engineers in New Zealand were university trained, ‘and it was probable that the proportion would be the same for some time to come.