PRIZES PRESENTED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20912, 16 December 1937, Page 11

PRIZES PRESENTED

TIMARU TECHNICAL COLLEGE YEAR REVIEWED PRINCIPAL’S ANNUAL REPORT There was a large gathering of parents in the Scottish Hall last night when the annual prize-giving ceremony of the Timaru Technical College was held. The function was presided over by Mr G. Benstead, chairman of the Board of Managers, and others on the stage were Mrs S. Unwin, the chief speaker of the evening, the Mayor (Mr P. C. Vinnell) and Mrs Vinnell, Mr P. R. Talbot (deputy chairman of the Board), and Mrs Talbot, the Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P., the principal (Mr F. L. N. Tuck), Mrs Tuck, and members of the Board and staff. Before the opening of the proceedings, bouquets were presented to Mrs Unwin, Mrs Vinnell, Mrs Talbot and Mrs Tuck. The charman expressed the Board’s appreciation of the work of the principal during the year and congratulated him and the staff on the success of the year’s activities. Emphasising the importance of technical education for industries and farming pursuits, Mr Benstead said the large technical high schools and colleges should be utilised to provide both the practical and theoretical scientific preparation for apprenticeship to supply qualified entrants to trades and industry. Referring to the attitude of the Government to education,'he said the present Administration and Minister of Education had shown more concern and practical sympathy with the educational problems confronting New Zealand than any previous Government. He review in detail the directions in which the Minister had improved the education system and facilities. He appealed to parents to support the bus service which had been inaugurated to bring country pupils to school at an earlier hour. During the year the service had not been patronised to the extent that the Board had hoped, and it was the duty of parents to see that their children received the benefit of arriving at school in time for the opening classes. Year’s Work Reviewed Three outstanding events had contributed to the school history—the coronation in May, the New Education Fellowship Conference in July, and the very regrettable epidemic of infantile paralysis at the beginning of the year, stated the principal (Mr F. L. N. Tuck) in his annual report. Owing to the last-named the reopening of the Technical High School was postponed from February 2 until March 1, and on account of one mild case in the school the first year domestic science class and Glen-iti pupils were absent in quarantine from April 15 to 23. The other two events also caused a rearrangement of the school terms resulting in a total shortage of eight days in the school year. Amongst other activities in February the question of school bus services received detailed examination. To supplement information forwarded at the end of last year, the secretary of the Education Department visited the district to make personal inquiries, and conferences were later arranged between representatives of the High School and Technical School Boards. Finally, with the aid of a substantial Departmental subsidy, a dally bus service from Otalo (16 miles each way) was Inaugurated on the opening day, March 1. By a small payment of 1/8 per head per week (raised in May to 2/-) pupils secured the great benefit of arriving at school before the opening hour, 9.15, instead of by train at times varying from 10.40 to 11.0. The bus also enabled pupils to return home much earlier in the afternoon. In spite of these advantages the numbers had not been maintained, free railway travel proving too strong a competitor. There had been an insistent demand for school bus transport from residents in the Esk Valley, Kohika and Claremont districts not served by train, but in 1937 the cost of bus services proved prohibitive for the numbers offering. The roll on March 15 numbered 252, ten in advance of the previous year, and average attendance for the year was 93.5 per cent.

Popular Courses The Technical High School curriculum had provided for four courses nearly equal in popularity amongst the newcomers: A commercial course for girls and boys, a domestic science course for girls, a trades course (or boys aspiring to apprenticeship, a course for boys with a rural bias, also including both woodwork and metalwork. English, arithmetic or practical mathematics, drawing, handwork, and some branch of science were taken by all pupils. Civics and history were also included in all courses. As time permitted it was the school’s keen desire to pay Increasing attention to the social sciences, a significant aim of the New Education Fellowship; the difficulty in accomplishment arose from the short school life of the pupils and the competition for time among the various subjects. A strong first-year class of 31 pupils and evening classes had severely taxed the accommodation of the typ: writing room. The enlargement of the room was much desired. Continued use had been made of rhythmic gramophone records as an aid in instruction. An extension of the teaching in geography had been made possible by some increase in the time allotted to the subject. Periodical literature had been of distinct value in stimulating Interest and broadening the outlook of pupils. Bookkeeping and general commercial training had received due attention, while considerable success has been achieved in poster design and commercial art. There had been a keen local demand this year for junior shorthand-typists, clerks, and office assistants. The domestic girls h-/l maintained an enviable reputation for skill in the domeslc arts, dressmaking, needlework, cookery and housecraft, and combined with this had displayed a real interest in and practical knowledge of hygiene, first-aid and home nursing. Many of the former girls from the course had become successful saleswomen, others dressmakers and milliners, some took up nursing, whilst numbers proved

themselves accomplished housekeepers. A good variety of work has been accomplished in the engineering and woodwork shops, in electrical and motor engineertag and in instrumental j drawing. The second-year group had also given a good account of themselves in practical work and had made a very good start in technical electricity. Woolclasstag, smithy work, farm carpentry and other appropriate handwork were provided in the rural course together with motor engineering and electricity. Many of the boys travelled considerable distances to school and perforce took a curtailed timetable. It was desirable for a boy to remain two to three years if he could be spared; old boys who had done so had repeately expressed their appreciation of the benefits derived by so doing. Show Successes Important incidents in the year had been the second South Canterbury Industrial Exhbiition and Winter Show and the annual Agricultural and Pastoral Show. In the later the girls Were particularly successful in the sewing competitions. At the former a representative exhibit was displayed of dressmaking and needlework, art and craftwork, mechanical drawing, woodwork and cabinetmaking, engineering fitting and turning, forging, welding, plumbing and typewriting, posters and ticketwrittag. Parents’ day, December 3, in spite of wet weather was a successful function, the visitors being keenly interested in watching the classes at work. The girls’ drill had shown pleasing development under Miss Currie’s direction, variety being introduced through rhythmic exercises and folk dances. At the same time the drill of the boys, under Mr Carter, has benefited by the separation, more strenuous and suitable exercises for them being thereby rendered possible. The free distribution of milk instituted in September had proceeded smoothly, about 60 per cent, of the pupils participating, with obvious benefit in many cases. It was hoped that next year a larger proportion would avail themselves of this excellent health-building innovation. The Cadet Company under Captain Carter, assisted by Captain Ruston and Lieutenants Davidson and Richards and Mr Llmbrick, had paraded weekly for drill, and the usual shooting practices and competitions had been carried out at the Drill Hall. The lending library had been efficiently conducted by L. Brenton and G. Borman and other boys under the direction of Mr Llmbrick. A few new books had been purchased, but the straitened condition of the Board’s funds precluded any substantial assistance from this source. A suitable room for use as a library and reading room was badly needed. The proposal to coordinate the library facilities in the different technical schools received the hearty endorsement of the Board of Managers. Several film programmes were screened at school and elsewhere. Sport The 1936-7 swimming season was a most disappointing one by reason of the weather and the restrictions imposed by the epidemic. The sports, usually held in March, were postponed until December, to be held in conjunction with the annual school picnic at Temuka Domain. Advantage had been taken this term of the seasonable weather to give every encouragement to swimming, and particularly to learners, as a result of which both boys and girls were qualifying steadily for distance certificates and by cooperative effort were steadily reducing the number of non-swimmers. The usual exchange of visits with Ashburton Technical High School took place on June 30 and August 18, resulting in two wins at football and two wins, three losses and a draw at basketball. Cricket and football (Association as an alternative) by the boys, and tennis and basketball by the girls had been played regularly on Wednesdays afternoons (with Friday as alternative). The inter-house matches, though arousing keen rivalry, had been played in admirable spirit. The inter-house competitions had resulted—Boys: Hawea, 386 points, 1; Tekaop, 338 points, 2; Pukakl, 234 points, 3; Wanaka, 174 points, 4. Girls —Wanaka, 397 points, 1; Hawea, 280 points, 2; Tekapo, 265 points, 3; Pukakl, 179 points, 4.

Evening Classes Evening class enrolments totalled 404 during the year, continued the report. The class in invalid cookery for hospital nurses was resumed after several years’ intermission, and a class in building construction which lapsed at “the depression” was revived with considerable promise for next year. With the recent revival in the building and motor trades and the increasing number of apprentices, it was confidently hoped that next year additional classes would be necessary and that these courses could be more effectively organised. There was every prospect of the present number of apprentices in these trades being more than doubled in 1938. Examination successes included 32 subject passes at the 1936 Professional Accountancy examinations, and nine at the Association of Commercial Science. Two boys in their fourth year passed University Entrance and another the School Certificate examination, while three secured partial passes; 53 day pupils and 24 eventag students were awarded senior free places, and eight extensions of junior free places. At the 1937 City and Guilds’ examination in electrical engineering practice six gained passes, two from the day school and three other ex-day pupils. Regular successes were also being secured in plumbing and electric wiring registration.

The Board of Managers had suffered the loss of the Rev. J. D. McArthur, who left Timaru in May after nearly three years’ active and helpful membership. Mr J. J. Hall, of Otalo, took his place as the third parents’ representative, the other three retiring members being re-elected last July, It had been an anxious and difficult year in the matter of finance. Costs had risen considerably and yet the Departmental grant for Incidental expenses remained at the cut rate instituted during the economic depression. In conclusion Mr Tuck took the opportunity of expressing the school’s indebtedness to the many friends who had assisted in various ways. Amongst the topics particularly emphasised by the New Education Fellowship was the insistent need to save democracy from extinction by actively fostering democratic ideals in the schools. That would be effected naturally by the practice of self-government, the wise use of games and clubs, the Institution of miniature civic communities. Every possible trust should be reposed in teacher and pupil, such freedom carrying commensurate responsibility. The academic prizes were then pre-

sented by Mrs Vinnell, and the sports trophies by Mrs Talbot. Reorganisation Of System Mr Carr said no subject received more animated discussion in New Zealand to-day than education, and went on to refer to the reorganisation of i the system which the Government contemplated. Before he left Wellington., the Minister (Hon. P. Fraser) had told him that the Education Committee of the House would meet after the Christmas recess to complete arrangements for the legislation which will be enacted to bring the reorganisation about. Mr Carr quoted from a work by Dr. Beeby on the education of adolescents, in which the eminent educationist expressed the opinion that the present system of technical education was likely to leave the artisan of the future at a loss if he were not given some cultural training while it was not adequate technologically for the expert of the future. The present was a time of flux and the basis of all our progress and prosperity was education, which must fit us to take our places in an ever-changing world. That was why the Government was undertaking the reorganisation of the system, for the benefit of the children and in the interests of the future. During the evening a programme of musical items was presented by the pupils as follows:—Violin solos, “Mignonette” (Reed), Isabel Crabb; “Sarabande in D” (Bach). Alan Rankin; unison songs, "Stilton Hall” (Capel), “The Shoemakers’ Song” (Holst), senior girls; old English song, “Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?” girls; Maori songs, "Nonsense Song,” “E Pari Ra,” “Pokare,” junior girls; boys’ .mouth organ band, "Roll Along, Covered Waggon, Roll Along,” “Shenandoah”; solo, "The Great Little Army,” J. Marcellos; “Rainbow on the River, ’ “Good King Wenceslas.” Shorthand Exams The following results of Pitman shorthand examinations came to hand yesterday: 130 words per minute, Georgina H. Hampton, 120 Elizabeth V. Duggan, 90 Eileen Markham. 80 Beryl A. Sprague, 80 Ngalre G. Mattingley, 80 Alma I. O. Hall, 80 Daphne P. Baylis, 50 Rayna Wilson, 50 Margaret Wilson, 50 Nance E. Smith, 50 Marie R. Home.