EDUCATIONAL

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 11

EDUCATIONAL

Technical Education.— Milton District High School. In this utilitarian age, when we are wont to estimate everything at its commercial value, it is pleasing to know that the too close routine of our State system of education has been departed from in one school at least. The present Minister of Education has spokeu out in favour of technical education; but in the primary schools little scope is left for carrying out the Minister's wishes, on account of the pressure of the standard system. However, where there is the will there is always the way, and the practical rector of the Milton District High School deserves credit for his enterprise in initiating what may prove to be tho foundation of a good working scheme of technical education, in the larger schools at any rate. Mr Reid has three classes of boys at work — two junior classes of seven boys in each, and a senior one of five— at carpentry. The work of tho junior boys is necessarily of an amateur nature, but amateur work need not be the less accurate, as far as it goes ; and a cursory glance at the articles made shows that both hand and eye are trained, and a marvellous degree of excellence is attained when the youth of the boys is taken into account, while the work of the senior boys has quite got beyond the amateur stage. Each clafcs works one hour a week after school hours. This is almost a pity ; for could the work be taken as a part of the regular school course, instead of coming in as an outside subject, perhaps a greater number of boys would take advantage of it. Mr Reid is, of course, the directing genius of the technical school; but one of his staff, Mr M'Elrea, takes charge of a carpentry class. The boys are so fond of the work that many of them may be seen in the workroom in the playtime of the others ; and so great is the stimulus of emulation, of difficulties surmounted, of growing skill, that quite a number of the lads put in part of their Saturdays in the workshop. This of itself proves that technical education at Milton is more than a mere attempt — it is an accomplished fact — a fact which the boys will carry • with them to their homes, and one which will stand them in good stead in after - life. Over and above the instruction in carpentry, a certain amount of mechanics is learned in an indirect way, which will also be of great use to many of the boys in connection with their everyday life. Mr Reid has for some time been at work npon a combination machine for the use of the classes, which displays a great amount of ingenuity, to say nothing of mechanical skill, in its construction. After repeated trials, and failures too, of course (stumbling blocks necessarily in an amateur's pathway), a machine has been completed which performs a multitude of operations. Driven from one fly wheel, by the foot, by a combination of pulleys and belts, any set of which may be disconnected at will, either a fret saw, band saw, circular saw, or boring machine can be set a-going. The fret saw works at a comparatively high rate of speed, and consequently can accomplish a greater amount of work in skilled hands, while the circular saw is placed in requisition for quite a round of uses, ncluding cross-cutting and ripping timber, rabbeting, and cutting picture framing, which latter operation is so accurately performed that the joins in the finished frame are scarcely visible. The boring part of the machine does for either wood, iron, or brass. The whole machine has been constructed, on the premises, with the exception of the driving wheel and some of the bearings ; and the working parts have been designed by Mr Reid himself. * The development of such a machine in the presence of the boys must have given them an insight into practical, mechanics, which will not be without effect. Besides this machine, there is another that merits a passing notice, in the shape of a turning lathe made almost wholly out of an old sewing machine. The treadle and stand remain intact, while the working parts have been L altered for the turning part of the

machine, which turns wood .or iron, or bores either as desired. Two machine fret saws and sets of ordinary carpentry tools complete the working appliances of the school. The senior lads are taught to sharpen their own tools. Each boy is provided with the necessary tools, but finds his own timber. At the commencement of the year a choice is made of the class of article desired, when a drawing is prepared, and the young workman must construct accurately to scale. The finished articles become the property of the boys, and many a home will show with pride specimens of the workmanship of the Milton technical classes. Some of the articles already made are bookcases, trunks, corner cupboards with fretwork ornamentation, panelled screens with fretwork, &c. At the present time the classes have in hand bookcases with panelled fronts (from plan drawn to scale), small chests of drawers, and corner cupboards with fretwork ornaments. The boys are also taught to cat picture frames and to make Oxford framing for themselves.

In addition to the carpentry classes, 18 boys are learning practical analysis of plants and soik, principally in relation to the more important soil products necessary as plant food. The boys work in groups of three, and under the direction of Mr Reid perform the operations required to determine the composition of any given substance dealt with. These classes are taken twice a week, in the afternoon during school hours. Already some dozen samples of milk have been analysed, so that the boys assisting at the work will have a pretty good idea of the qualify of that article as produce 1 in the neighbourhood. The work in hand deals with the principal and essential elements of fertile soil. Solutions of salts are taken for quantitative analysis in order to arrive at the exact quantities of phosphates, &c, of lime, iron, and other important elements which form plant food. The whole course will include the determination quantitatively of such substances as phosphates, sulphates, chlorides, carbonates, and silicates, together with the precise of quantities of lime, potash, soda, and magnesia, in given samples of soil and plants. Such is a brief sketch of the work done in the technical department of the Milton school — work which the boys ■will carry with them and put to practical use, some in the workshop, some on the farm, and probably some in the same direction as their practical and painstaking teacher. It is difficult to estimate the value of such a work as is herecarriedon without ostentation, andalmostoutsidetheknowledge of the rest of the colony. Anyone but needs to see the boys at work, and to see specimens of their finished work, to appreciate the value of technical education when carried out in a practical manner. These boys when they return to , the farms, from which many of them come, will be quite able to make a gate or repair a dray without calling in the aid of a carpenter, and thus, while ( having their work done to their own satisfaction, effect a saving in outlay, which must count for something in these times. And many of them will be able to determine which and what amount of manure particular soils require without going to the expense of consulting the scientifically-qualified analyst. It would be better for the cause of education in New Zealand if the syllabus ot instruction could be so modified as to include classes of the kind so ably conducted at Milton, that is if men qualified and willing to conduct them can be found, along with school committees liberal enough to provide the necessary, funds ; if indeed provision for such and similar work should not be made direct in connection with the ordinary school course.