MANUAL TRAINING

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXI, Issue 2780, 26 November 1931, Page 4

MANUAL TRAINING

THE CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL. EXHIBITION OF HANDIWORK ‘ ‘ plan the work and work the plan ’ ’ This well-known quotation is aptly illustrated in the exhibition of handiwork at present arranged at the local Manual Training School, the instructor Mr V. L. Gittos, having made arrangements for the parents of the district to view' the work again' to-day. Yesterday several district residents took the opportunity to pay a visit to the school and were greatly interested and pleased with all they saw. Yesterday morning an Independent. i< presentativc visited tho school and spent an interesting half-hour with the instructor. Displayed on the work benches was a great variety of woodwork articles from a match-box holdei to a book shelf and cako stand; also an example of the practise of economy in useful coal scuttles mado out of ordinary butter-boxes. The instructor fully explained the course provided and showed the progress made by the pupils from the first to fourth year of instruction. Big Range of Articles. ■lt was very interesting to inspect tho great range of articles the pupils have made this ycai, much of winch is in aid of tho Auckland Blind Institute bazaar. Arranged carefully in ordor of classes and standards there were such articles as dish drainers, stationery racks, book troughs, book cases, pipe and scissors holders, tea pot amj other stands, a clever dish towel aircr, match-box holders, butter and other spades, match strikers, cake stands and bread boards, and many others too numerous to mention. After having made an inspection of the exhibition the visitors came away with a greater appreciation of the value of such schools and Ihe education provided. In tho different types and grades of work one fully recognised tho amount of aptitude, application and. real effort made by the individual pupils, and for that matter one could almost trace tho character of tho pupils responsible. As was pointed out by Mr Gittos, tho primary features of the school were the educating of the pupils to draw' and plan and olicii to carry out in tangiblo form. System of Tuition. In tho course provided, a pupil, naturally, learned the basis of -woodwork and the first instruction was in the use of tools and the three measurements. From this stage tho pupil went on to master tho use of the plane and saw, and then on to tho construction of somo simple article, requiring the use of two pieces of wood. Having mastered these primary essentials, the pupil was then piloted along the road of woodwork construction, and Die result was seen in the very fine exhibition of articles. It was pointed out that by the pupil’s particular aptitude and general attitude towards woodwork, the parents were often provided with a reliable guide as to the calling their child would be best suited to. It was often found that pupil with littlo aptitude for wood-work and construction was v-cdl suited to take up somo profession, and vice versa. There is no doubt but that the instruction received at the manual training schools is by no means wasted. The course laid down also gives reasonable scope for individuality and individual enterprise, and this ■was seen in the different, styles on some particular article made. The work on the whole was surprisingly good and reflected credit on the pupils and more especially the instructor.