SEVERE TEST FOR YOUNG

Southland Times, Issue 24574, 24 October 1941, Page 5

SEVERE TEST FOR YOUNG

DIFFICULTIES OF NEXT FEW YEARS “However the war may develop, the next few years will prove a very severe test for young people leaving school and trying to fit themselves into the conditions of business and industry. Very wise and sympathetic planning by the authorities will be necessary in order to adjust the claims of those leaving school, of girls taking the places of men, and of the men returning from war service. It is particularly necessary that the Education Department and the Labour Department should co-operate closely in order to protect the various interests and build up a more satisfactory social and economic system,” stated Mr C. A. Stewart (principal) in the course or his report to the meeting of the Southland Technical College Board last night. Dealing with the evening school, Mr Stewart said: “The session which will close on November 15 has been a difficult one, with much dislocation on account of war demands. I have not yet made a complete analysis of the figure, but I expect to find that the numbers of girl and women students has been little affected, in spite of such activities as V.A.D., St. John Ambulance, Women’s Auxiliary, and the like. For the dressmaking and needlework classes we have had an unus&al number of married women enrolled. While these are generally very enthusiastic, their home duties in a good many cases interfere rather seriously with regularity of attendance. Trades classes and classes for public examinations have been very seriously disorganized byterritorial camps and other defence organizations. Among students who have not been directly concerned in these matters, attendance has been adversely affected, partly by the unusual amount of overtime necessary in some businesses, and partly by the general spirit of unrest which makes it difficult for young lads approaching military age to settle down to routine duties. “Last year I had to report a drop of some 140 in the number of evening school enrolments as compared with those for 1939. This year there is a further decline of about 80; but even within the next three weeks we may expect to admit a few more girls and boys who are just starting work. As compared with other centres, I consider that our total, to date, of 721 students enrolled is fairly satisfactory.”