LINKING SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1923, Page 5

LINKING SCHOOLS.

SUPPORTED BY PRINCIPALS. ADVANTAGES TO STUDENTS. GROWTH OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING. The principle of the amalgamation of the New Plymouth High Schools and the Technical College has the endorsement of the principals. The director of the Technical College (Mr. A. L. Moore) says that from an educationist’s and a citizen’s point of view there can be no question that the amalgamation of the three schools is possible and feasible, and that nothing but advantages would accrue. Similar views have been expressed by Mr. W. H. Moyes (principal of the Boys’ High School), lie considers that the proposed amalgamation is feasible, and that if brought about it will be beneficial to the younger generation of New Plymouth and district, and to the cause of education generally. The question of amalgamation of high schools and technical schools in towns such as New Plymouth is not of recent origin. The Director of Education (Mr. J. Caughley, M.A.) has had the matter under consideration for some time. Under the present system there is overlapping, and neither the high schools nor the technical colleges as now constituted are in a position to cater for the educational requirements of all the students undergoing instruction. With the introduction of the free place system about twenty years ago, a departure had to be made from the purely classical course then in vogue in the high schools, and gradually vocational subjects, such as agricultural instruction and instruction in commercial subject®, have been included in the curI ricula. The passing years have brought : a demand for even greater vocational training, and this has compelled the schools to make inroads into the courses usually accepted as coming within the proper sphere of the technical colleges. OVERLAPPING OF SYSTEMS.’ Technical colleges, on the other hand, were started as night schools for workers employed in various industries, but they have gradually developed into secondary schools, with, in some cases, very few evening students. With classes for vocational subjects has come a demand for a leavening of general education, until now some of the colleges can take students through to the matriculation examination and examinations in more or less professional subjects. Overlapping has been the result. The technical colleges have endeavored to teach subjects that could be better taught at the high schools, and the high schools have attempted, with limited facilities, to give instruction in subjects that are better provided for at the technical colleges. When the suggestion of amalgamation was made to remedy these evils so far as New Plymouth wrr concerned, the headmasters and headmistress’ of the schools were asked by their respective boards to report on the matter. They were unanimous in favor of the scheme, though admitting that many difficulties would arise in carrying it out. The boards, however, considered that it was the business of the Education Department and the headmasters to settle the

problem of organisation for themselves; the boards were not experts on these questions, and it rested with them simply to approve or disapprove of the principle involved from the point of view of the pupils. This approval, on conditions which have been mentioned previously, has been given. MANY ADVANTAGES. The advantages of amalgamation which have been stressed by Messrs. Moyes and Moore in their reports are many. Overlapping of any kind will be avoided and there will be no unnecessary expense in giving the instruction to the pupils. There will be economy of education-il efforts and resources. Another important factor will be that the interest of the community will be c(fntred on one institution instead, of over two. Of the purely domestic advantages there is the fact that the present Boys’ High School has ample grounds for extensions, which the Technical College area cannot provide, while there is also the boarding establishment, which will be available to country students who desire to take the vocational course under the proposed amalgamation. For the pupils the advantages will he in the fact that a boy who wishes to study engineering, for instance, will receive practical instruction in his chosen profession, as well as a sound general education. It is in the combining of the two courses in a highly efficient, and, at the same time, an economical manner, that the success of the scheme lies. The reports of the headmasters of the boys’ schools and the headmistress ot the girls’ school and the resolutions ot the boards have been forwarded to the Education Department, and the matter rests there at present. If the department approves of amalgamation it will communicate with the boards and make suggestions to grapple with the obvious difficulties of reorganisation.