Page image

E—2

undertaken ; the setting-up of a Technological Examinations Board (similar to the City and Guilds of London Institute); the granting of bursaries and scholarships for technical students ; and the appointment to the Department of a senior officer to take administrative control of higher technical education as his main duty. Trade Training in Engineering Subjects Of recent years there has been an increasing demand for trade training at a lower level than that referred to in the preceding paragraph of this report. The training demanded is not at the pre-vocational level provided in technical-high-school courses, nor does it rank with higher technical training of institution standard, but it is concerned chiefly with trade processes using specialized instruments and machines—often quite intricate and valuable ones —to do emergency jobs in installation and repair work, by methods not always far removed from purely empirical ones. The need for training of this kind is emphasized more particularly in the motor-engineering trade, in connection with which the New Zealand Motor Trade Certification Board has been set up and has become very active in furthering the instruction and examination of motor apprentices throughout New Zealand. A full-time technical organizer has been appointed by that Board, who regularly visits all schools conducting classes for motor apprentices and makes suggestions to the controlling authorities for the improvement of conditions. These visits are made with the authority of the Director of Education, and the co-operation of the Certification Board has been appreciated not only for helpful suggestions made, but also for contributions of equipment and the loan of projectors and films used for teaching purposes. However, as might be expected, the results of this intensive drive have been to stimulate applications for the erection or renting of buildings, for the appointment of additional instructors, and for the provision of general and specialized equipment, which would run into a very large sum of money. The objections to the provision of equipment on such a scale for one industry alone are many, but they may be stated as follows—(1) Unless and until daytime training for apprentices becomes a fact, much of this equipment would be idle except for perhaps a few hours use in the course of a year: (2) Much of it is highly specialized' and adapted to motor vehicles of present-day design ; there is a great danger of the equipment becoming rapidly obsolete and valueless, especially with impending post-war changes in design to be expected : (3) Practically all of it needs to be imported, and at present little is available from British sources : (4) For a proper understanding of its use, instructors having the necessary background knowledge of science and mathematics, as well as practical experience in its daily application, are necessary; similarly, a background of prevocational training is essential to its full understanding by the students themselves. It is doubtful if these pre-requisite conditions in general exist. Recruitment and Training of Technical School Teachers During the year approval was given for the selection and training of some twentyfive qualified tradesmen in wood- and metal-work trades to become qualified teachers of these crafts in technical schools and manual-training centres. An organization was worked out with the collaboration of the Auckland Education Board and the Auckland Technical College Board to enable the training to be inaugurated in Auckland early in 1946, and the thanks of the Department are due to these two bodies and their administrative officers for their helpful attitude. It is hoped by means of this training scheme to secure a flow of trained capable teachers to put into effect the practical subjects of the new post-primary curriculum, as well as to staff manual-training centres and intermediate schools.

13