UNEMPLOYED BOYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1931, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED BOYS.

Whatever may be thought of ■'his suggested remedies, there will be general concurrence with the statement made by the principal of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Mr. W. H. Moyes, that nothing is worse for boys leaving school than to be idle because they cannot obtain employment. Mr. Moyes had two suggestions for preventing this unhappy state of affairs. The first is that parents keep boys at school for another year if at the time they would ordinarily be leaving school no employment for them is available. There is a good deal to be said in favour of this. It might entail sacrifice on the part of the parents, but it would at least prevent boys from the deterioration of idle days. School fees are not heavy, and if boys are out of employment those fees would represent practically all the additional expense involved in keeping them at school. They might also, in the additional year of training, be permitted to specialise in subjects that would be of great benefit to them in their future careers. Even those who did not specialise would at least have opportunities of advanced study in ordinary subjects, and it is a well-known fact' that the broader the education the more fitted is a youth for specialised training in his life vocation. The second suggestion is that special camps be established where lads otherwise unemployed might be engaged in scrub-cutting, and such work. Mr. Moyes urges the necessity of such camps being controlled by men having had experience in the care of boys, and there will be general concurrence with his view. It does not seem to be clear whether there is any age limit for the men’s camps already instituted, but it certainly is desirable that if a large number of boys are to be so engaged it should be in special camps and under proper supervision. Opinion on either suggestion is not likely to be unanimous. The proposals are at least practicable and definite. They should commend themselves to the careful consideration of all who will soon be faced with the problem of finding work for their boys.