EMPLOYMENT OF YOUTHS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19337, 29 May 1937, Page 15

EMPLOYMENT OF YOUTHS

EFFECT OF BASIC WAGE HEADMASTER'S RESEARCH Asked by the Director of Education to substantiate a statement-made in a report to the Wellington College Board of Governors to the effect that employers in many cases will not now take boys unless under the ago of 17 years, beeau.se of the operation of the basic wage, Mr. W. A. Armour, headmaster of Wellington College, has forwarded to the director a report of his research into this pressing problem. The figures compiled by Mr. Armour for the September-December period from 1932 onward show that, in 1932, 51 boys under 17 and 74 boys over 17 left the eollege. In 1933 the figures were, 45 and 74; in 1934, 64 and 89; in 1935, 70 and 62; and in 1930, 172 and 47. The respective figures for the February-March-April period are as f0110w5:—1932,14 and 13; 1933,14 and 14; 1934, 18 and 17; 1935, 19 and 13; 1930, 14 and 8; 1937, 10 and 0. For the period beginning in May and ending in December the aggregates are as follows:—l932, under 17, 00, over 17, 89; 1933, 49 and 82; 1934, G 6 and 102; 1935, 77 and 71; 1936, 189 and 51.

"The extraordinary large number of 290 pupils left the college during or at the end of 1930, nearly 100 in excess of those leaving in any other recent years," stated the original report referred to by the Director of Education. "The causes of this great efflux were the tremendous demand by employers for boys, and no doubt the operation of the busic wuge. it i* regrettable that 100 many senior pupils are now leaving school without a full preparation for life. At the beginning of the present year the roll <>i 703" was about 100 less than the roll at; the beginning of last year, a decline duo to the causes mentioned above and to the compulsory closing of the school in February."