PARENTS & TEACHERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 39, 18 October 1946, Page 5

PARENTS & TEACHERS

SOCIAL EVENING HELD

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE OUTLINED

An interesting talk was heard by a number of parents at the last meeting of the Whakatane Parent - Teacher Association, when Mr Green and Miss McNoughton of the Vocational Guidance Centre gave an outline of vocational guidance under the heading of “Facts to consider in the choice of a Career.”

Mr Green opened the subject after apologising briefly for the unavoidable absence of Mr Kirk, the officer who had been scheduled to make the trip, but who had been unable to do so.

Although, he said, much was heard concerning the ‘choice’ of a career, the most that could be done was to guide a child in the path most suited to his- particular ability. It was wrong to stifle the ideas of young - children, particularly when in the ‘engine driver’ and ‘fireman’ stage. It was better that he or she should have some idea of a vocation; the ideas could then be guided along the right lines. A Correct Choice At the present, it was difficult to guide a young person into the correct vocation owing to the large number of blind-alley jobs holding out attractive bait such as high wages. A career could be divided into four steps: Choice; Preparation; Entry into Career; and Progress. As the average work-life of a man was between 40 and 50 years, it was essential that he should be in a job where he was happy. The essential thing to remember was that every child was an individual, and it did not necessarily follow that he should follow in his father’s footsteps. Sometimes, the pupil was unable to make the choice of a career himself, in which case he relied upon a team consisting of himself, his parents, his teachers, and the Vocational Guidance Officer. In cases such as these, a solution often resulted.

After quoting examples where lads were forced to take up certain work chosen by their parents, Mr Green added that the more information a pupil was able to accumulate concerning his prospective career, the better it was. Although the school leaving age was 15, it was set down, as a minimum, and with a good education a boy was much better equipped to face the world. In conclusion, he stated, the Vocational Guidance Centre was always willing to assist-anyone to make a choice, and enquiries were welcomed. Careers For Girls Dealing with the situation as it applied to girls, Miss McNoughton stated that the main factor which had to be overcome, was the impression that opportunities existed only in the city. This was entirely wrong. Often there were good openings for girls in country towns, and by filling such positions and studying by correspondence, a girl could equip herself with experience and knowledge for a future job in the city. She expressed the opinion that there should be some provision made for girls who had, through family circumstances, been forced to leave school and assist in the home. Growing girls, she concluded, frequently changed .their minds concerning their future vocations, and school was an excellent place in which such pupils could not only think over the aspects of each position, but could also be guided along the correct lines. Social Activities

The social activities of the meeting included two pianoforte solos by Miss McKay, and two vocal solos by Mrs Rushbrook accompanied by Mr Rushbrook at the piano. During the interval in which a tasty supper was served, the parents present accepted the opportunity to discuss various individual problems with the visiting officers. The question box was then opened, and the Headmaster (Mr I. B. Hubbard) answered a number of queries relating to the school.

At the conclusion of the evening, Mr Hubbard expressed the sentiments of those present, when he extended the best wishes of the gathering to Mr and Mrs Rushbrook, who are leaving the district shortly to take up a new appointment.