SOLDIERS' TRAINING

Otago Witness, Issue 3413, 13 August 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS' TRAINING

WORK AMONG HOSPITAL PATIENTS. NEARLY ONE THOUSAND PUPILS. The education and vocational training branch of tho Defence Department has now reached a stage at which classes have been organised in nearly all the hospitals where soldiers are treated, and a number of soldier out-patients are getting th Q benefit of this scheme, thus improving their chances of malting headway jn civil occupations. It is estimated that there are now over a thousand soldiers attending classes. T.he attitude of the soldiers to the educational and vocational scheme was at first suspioious, if not actually hostile. They resented the idea of compulsory education, though as a matter of fact tho only element of compulsion which has been introduced into the system is where a man will be directly improved in health as a result of training recommended by his medical officer. Some difficulty was experienced in trying to rouse, the patients out of the inertness which characterises hospital life. Many of them apparently took little interest in their future, Dut the vocation officers who are sent into the hospitals Are returned . soldiers who are quite well able to understand tho men's outlook, and to overcome their indifference. The latest reports show that these early difficulties are disappearing; now there ia very little opposition to the scheme, and the soldiers realise that tho vocation officers aro anxious to help them. Though some classes fail others are immediately started —there is no hard and fast syllabus to be applied uniformly in all districts — and as a result of experience of the requirements of tho men there is an increasing number of students, and an extremly wide variety in the classes throughout the dominion. No fewer "than 53 subjects are taught altogether, the most popular subjects being indicated by the following details of tho number of pupils on the instruction rolls ori the first July: Pupils. Motor engineering .» ~ ... 129 Leather work ... ... -. ■- 129 Basket work ... ... 9o Wool-classing .... ... ».« Book-keeping ... ►.. .~ «. 76 Carpentry ... -.- ~ 68 Embroidery - .~ 62 Economics -. «~ .- ~- 49 Splint-making ... ~. -. ~. 43 Beekeeping ... .- .- Commercial subjects ~. ~- 26 Boot repairing 23 Poultry farming > ... 23 Locomotive and tractor driving 21 A. number of special subjects are taken by individual soldiers in dilferent centres. They are mainly out-patients who wish to "brush up" their knowledge or gain some information which will be of value to them in their civil vocations. Assistant vocation officers have recently been appointed so that these out-patients may be systematically interviewed and helped. It has been found that the best results are obtained at tho sanatoria, where the patients are nearly recovered, and where they stay for some months. When men are sent to a hospital for operative treatment they are really invalids, and it is useless to expect them to take up courses which cover a considerable time. Occupational classes are the first step towards bringing the soldier back to active effort. In many cases the exercises for special muscles nave a valuable curative effect. Leather-work, basketmaking, woodcarving, spinning, and weaving, and embroidery (for cot cases) are taught. The classes are well attended, and as a rule are popular. Basketmaking does not now attract so large a number of patients as leather work. It is found that the splintmakmg, though offering little in tho way of future openings for soldiers, enables them to get a good deal of useful training in the handling of iron and leather tools which will be valuable to them in almost any trade they may take up after discharge. Carpentry and cabinetmaking are not as popular as. might be expected. As' curative agents they are useful to give training to special muscles, and to get men gradually accustomed to the resumption of bodily effort. A certain amount of training in engineering is given in the splint shops at the hospitals. At Rotorua there is a special vocational training in electrical engineering, but the only form of engineering which is really popular is motor engineering. There is & demand for this class of instruction all over the dominion, and everywhere the classes have been successful. Boot-repairing classes have been established at Rotorua, Napier, Miramar, and Hanmer. They are generally successful, thought not largely attended. A good deal of useful work is done in repairing the boots of hospital patients. This is a trade which can be learned in a short time, and fair wages are assured after a few months' instructional work. There is less interest taken in farming lectures than might be expected in an ■ agricultural country, though wool-olassing has been a popular subject in some centres. At Hanmer, where an instructional farm is attached to the hospital, a farm manager has been appointed, who Js an enthusiastic instructor, and it is expected that in the spring and swniner a good general agricultural education will be given. Fai-ming will also be taught at the farm attached to the new consumptive hospital at Waipukurau. . / . It was expected at the initiation of tho scheme that technical schools would provide suitable training for soldiers, but experience lias brought to light many difficulties. The courses there are too long, and are not intensive; they are held at inconvenient hours for soldiers, and are often crowded with youths and girls. But the chief difficulty is that the soldiers are not eager for vocational instruction, and require not a little persuasion before they will attend the classes at all. The solution has been found in special classes independent of the technical schools. The vocation officer at Christclmrch reports on this point:—"The special soldier's classes are in all cases successful, and it is recognised that whero the right kind of instruction tho soldiers want is provided, good attendsance can always be obtained. It should be added, however, that Dunedin Technical School is an exception, as over 60 soldiers are attending classes there. Tt will be seen from this review of the position that tho eduoational and vocational training branch has constantly modified its programme to meet tho needs of the men, and that the facilities it provides are now generally utilised to the advantage of th© soldier patients in New Zealand.