TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12904, 15 February 1906, Page 7

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

The Napier "Daily Telegraph" is extremely indignant' at the apathy of the Hawke's Bay Education Board in regard to technical education, and equally so at the Board's proposing to estabb'sh "art" classes if it dee *' anything at all. The people of this country,; says tie. - Telegraph," did not by their represented tives force the Government to make.provision for- technical: education merely that a few.youths).might be taught to place on canvass something resembling natural objects, nor that girls should be trained to chip-carve or to embroider cushion These pursuits are right enough, in:\iheir. way, but are wrong when in the wav of something else., A technical .school sup-, ported or partly supported by the State .can only serve lie ends for which, it exists when by its aid men and women are trained primarily not for .what is claimed to be " arfc »r ,bnt for the arts of industry. If to this can be' added tuition in portrait or landscape painting, so much\ the better, btit first must '■■ come" the iidustriai: and . mechanical. The drawing primarily . requiring to ' be taught at a teehnicai, school, .should be that which .serves to equip v % the engineer, the -buildeT, and the school teacher for -their ilfe, work. Tlie in colours should likewise be, that which trains- the painter and the decorator of buildings. The teaching of medern languages—or French and German at any rate —ought to come before " art," | and :i art" should never come at all unless in the school where it is professedly taught the instructors are capable persons. Many, promising young people have had their future spoiled by well-meaning but ignorant parents, who, imagining that they were training their children as " artists" -by keeping, them "studying - under, an" art have thereby robbed .the engineering or building professions of--&apable students- These things require to :be kept in mind ,by the because] even" inow the ; Boaa-d are -seeking 'to do the reverse of what they should do. Instead .of being, anxious to establish a school where engineers and plumbers, and carpenters and electricians, and accountants and teachers may be made of studious youth, the talk "is still of " art," of the " art" which means little more when analysed than teaching the result of which is unsaleable pictures and a plethora of decorated cushions to be gambled for at "art" unions. The duty of the Board is.plain. : A "technical" school is wanted first;-■--If-to it "art" can be added, well and.good. Perhaps the Inspector may be able to help in the work. We suggest that he should have prepared for next meeting of the Board, and hung in the meeting room, the following extract from the dictionary:

TECHNlCAL.—Pertaining to the mechanical arts; specially appertaining "to ah. art, science, profession, handicraft, business, or the like.