NIGHT CLASSES ARE DEFENDED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18546, 21 August 1928, Page 8

NIGHT CLASSES ARE DEFENDED.

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS PRESIDENT’S SPEECH. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, August 21. Night classes at technical schools were defended in the address of the president, Mr H. S. W. King, at the annual conference of tlie. Technical Education Association of New Zealand, which took place to-day. “In the past two or three years, there seems to have arisen doubts as to what kind of instruction may be given in our evening classes through a desire to abolish ‘hobby’ classes.” said Mr King. “The intentions of the Minister are undoubtedly sound, but they are restricted severely in practice and at times injustice is done. In the Auckland Technical College a class in wireless was refused recognition, although the students were all engaged in earning a livelihood through wireless either as operators, salesmen or mechanics. In this case a class of students suffered because wireless is usually a hobby. Similarly, cabinetmaking may be a trade or a hobby class. Even home science has been attacked. “In our school, almost every student is engaged in the trade to which the subjects relate or is preparing to enter such a trade, and I am sure that the Department's objection to so-called

“hobby” classes is not well founded. We are entitled to a clear statement of the grounds upon which recognition of evening classes will be refused, and in default of such statement, which I propose the conference should ask the Minister to give, the Department can not fairly refuse to recognise classes for which sufficient students enrol. If it does, this association should take the matter up.”