COMMERCIAL STUDENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19585, 17 March 1938, Page 4

COMMERCIAL STUDENTS

HIGH SCHOOL COURSE BACKGROUND NEEDED An inquiry regarding the possibility of providing additional commercial classes for the students of the Gisborne High School was made at last evening’s meeting of the Board of Governors by Mr. J. H. Sunderland. Declaring that it was absolutely essential for a student to have as a background a good all-round training before he commenced to concentrate on commercial subjects, the rector, Mr. J. Hutton, explained in detail the nature of the commercial course. He said that in the third year the students could concentrate as much as they desired on such subjects, but the whole trouble was that comparatively few of the pupils carried their education into the third year. Therein lay the difficulty. Mr. Hutton further explained that the regulations required the students to devote their time mainly to English, history, geography and science for the first two years in order to comply with the free place conditions. This did not permit of anything more than an introduction to commercial subjects. During the discussion Mr. Nolan said that parents were inclined to take a short-sighted view of the matter. It was recognised by business people who employed office staffs that a sound education was desirable. The chairman, Mr. L. T. Burnard, expressed the opinion that three years seemed hardly sufficient for the students to acquire all the necessary education.