TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 32

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE. CRITICISM OF. DEPARTMENT. WELLINGTON, August 3. The annual conference of the Technical Education Association of New Zealand was opened to-day under the presidency of Mr H. S. W. King (chairman of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, Auckland). Between 30 and 40 delegates from various parts of the Dominion were present. Nearly 60 remits dealing with technical education are on the order paper, and the conference is likely to last for two or three days. In his presidential address Mr King expressed disagreement with the policy at present being pursued by the Government in respect to the proposed technical schools board. “Last year,’’ he said, “an interim New Zealand technical schools’ board was j set up by the Minister of Education in consequence of the report of Mr Frank Tate, Director of Education in Victoria, who was invited by the Government to investigate our system of post-primary education. The present Minister has noti tied me that he does not propose to go on with the technical schools’ board as recommended by Mr Tate and approved by Sir nes Parr. Mr Wright suggests that the University Entrance Board can fulfil the same purpose. I disagree entirely, and trust that the conference will support me in a vigorous protest.” Mr King- proceeded to quote figures to show that the Dominion is not lavish in its expenditure on education when a comparison is made with other countries, and he drew attention to the small percentage of the annual expenditure that was charged to technical education. From 1920-22 the number of day school students increased from 2786 to 4202, an increase of 55 per cent. The exenditure in those years increased from £169,530 to £207,628, or 22 per cent. “From these figures,” he said, “it cannot be doubted that technical education has been unpopular with those responsible for allocating parliamentary votes, and that the expenditure has always been behind our need, which Mr Tate has described as the real need oi our education system. In other branches of education a vastly different policy is being pursued. Technical education expenditure has been stationary in spite of large increases in the enrolments and in spite of the fact that our chief mistake in edu cational policy in the past has been our neglect ‘to provide an efficient system of technical and industrial training.’ ’’ Stressing the need for the adoption of

Mr Tate’s recommendations, Mr King went on to say: “I again remind you that th Government selected Mr Tate and brought him to New Zealand specially to investigate our post-primary schools, and that his advice was that we had failed in not giving greater attention to the develop merit of an efficient system of technical and industrial training. Mr Tate made a number of valuable recommendations that involved little expense, the most important being- the establishment of a New Zea land schools’ board and a system of examinations in technological subjects. Steps were actually taken to establish the board. An interim committee of the proposed board was convened by the department on several occasions last year, but tin present Minister proposes to go no further in the matter. Mr Tate’s recommendations met with the approval of those ad ministering technical education, and were undoubtedly sound. 1 am of the opinion that they should be given effect to without I delay, that they ai’e our greatest need to--1 day, and that they would be inexpensive.” Mr J. R. Kirk appealed to the delegates to refrain from harassing the department by requests “for iron railings to put round their magnificent buildings’’ and to concentrate on essentials- One of the most important, remits, he considers, was that which asked the department to state definitely what it considered should be the function and scope of technical schools. They had been told what they were not, but it had never been defined what they really were. He, like the chairman, deplored the shelving of the Tate report. He thought that it would be the best possible tiring for the Dominion if the Director of Education was sent next year to the Educational Conference in Canada, and he hoped that the conference would pass a resolution to that effect.

The Director of Education (Mr T. B Strong) said that he had an open mind in regard to the development of technical education in the Donrinion. The conclusions reached by the conference might not be agreed with entirely, but the department would consider these conclusions carefully. It was necessary to advance along broad lines in order to get away from the narrow type of technical education. They did not want to turn out a trained worker of a specialised type. Whatwas needed was an expert workman with a good knowledge of the fundamentals behind the particular occupation in which he was engaged. “The near shilling must not be made to obscure the distant pound.” In these times of essential economy it was very necessary to see that there was no overlapping in education. Tire technical high school could be reckoned to be a very economical institution in that it was

working from morn till late, giving a bigger return than any other educational building. The social work done by the technical schools was very valuable, too, as the classes gave the young people an aim in life and an opportunity of profitably employing their leisure. The social value was too often taken for granted, but it was of an importance which could not be over-stressed.

Following on a leng-thy discussion the following motion was carried:—“That in general to amalgamate the existing secondary and technical schools would not be in the best interests of education ; but that when the first school of secondary rank is being established in any district it should take the form of a technical high school.”

MR TATE’S REPORT. WELLINGTON. August 4. Further reference was made at to-day’s conference of the Technical Education Association to the non-adoption of the Tate report. The two following remits were carried (1) That the Minister be advised that the conference considers the constitution of the University Entrance Board to be such that the functions of the proposed technical schools board should not be entrusted to it. (2) That the conference protests in the strongest terms against the failure of the Minister of Education (Mr R. A. Wright) to put injo effect the recommendation made in the report of Mr Frank Tate, that a system of technical education examination and certificate be established by the Education Department, with the advice and assistance of an expert technical schools beard.

In proposing the motions, Mr H. S. W. King (the chairman) said that the proposed board had the approval of Mr Tate, Sir James Parr, and the department, yet after the Interim Committee had done much gratuitous work the report was shelved and the decision reached that the proposed board should not be established. After other speakers had stressed the fact that the University Entrance Board did not adequately represent technical education or the lavnian, the two remits were carried unanimously. To the remits was added a motion requesting the Minister to reconsider his decision not to >et up the technical schools board. A further protest was made against the severe reduction of expenditure upon buildings and equipment as being a check to the progress of technical education. Adequate equipment for trades classes was asked for—an annual grant to each school

and a definite annual grant to boards for the purchase of equipment. More generous grants towards the training of apprentices, especially in those trades in which systematic help in finance or equipment is given by associations of employers or employees, were also asked for.

EDUCATIONAL POLICY. WELLINGTON, August 5. A spirited reply was made by the Minister of Education (Mr 11. A- Wright) to 'some of the criticism levelled at him ami the department bv the conference of the Technical Education Association to-day when he addressed the conference and received a deputation. He referred to the remark that a delegate had made the previous day about the training of Ministers of Education. To that he would reply that there should he a training course for delegates to some conferences, lie was at a loss to understand the conference condemning his attitude towards commercial classes. He had intended no detrimental reference to them at Palmerston North, and had been misunderstood. It was nonsense, too. to complain of the domination of education by politicians and departments. “Our education system,” he said, “is in the hands of Parliament so you cannot get away from political control. If you want to put education outside political control altogether that is a different matter, and you must work for it.” The Minister said he was voted by Parliament a certain sum, about £4,000,000, this year, and that was all he could get. He had to try and hold the scales evenly. Mr Wright went on to give in detail the condition of the country primary schools as seen from personal observation. “If I am wrong in my allocation of moneys,’ he declared, “get someone also to carry on my job.” He expressed no opinion one way or the other whether Parliament voted education a sufficient sum. All hewas concerned with was the administration of the sum voted. A comparison with the United States was uot fair. There were in America many more wealthy people who gave money for educational purposes, and they had a system of local taxation.

In regard to the Tate report. Mr Wright said that the main recommendations had been accepted, and effect had been given to the report so far as New Zealand conditions allowed. The report recommended a strong technical school board on the lines of the Melbonrne University BoardThe Government had set up such a board in the University Entrance Board. Mr Wright emphasised the necessity of devoting expenditure to necessities before frills.'