TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11495, 30 January 1903, Page 3

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

OPINIONS OF LOCAL EMPLOYERS

The Board of Management, to whom wa*. delegated the control of technical education matters in Christchurch, yesterday I evening met by arrangement, several of the local employers, for the- purpose of, ascertaining from fhe latter, whit firms of technical education they would recoavnund in their several trades.

Mr O. T. Booth, speaking for the iron industries', said hie own view of, the miittcr was that little wa> required in the flrav of technical education us meaning

manual training. He did e« think the Board need consider the question of providing facilities for manual training, but what was required was specialised teclinial training, nnd the boys should be taught something 'cf the theoretical part oi their work. He suggested that the Board should try and arrange for instructors, who would nive popular lectures in mathematics, drawing, mechanics, physics, machine design, shop practice, electricity and it* applications, refrigeration, sheet metal work, metallurgy.' plumbing and gasfitting. A comparatively nmall number of efficient Instructors could eas.iy handle the whc-le of the subjects. llus programme would train lads- for a great many industries connected with engineering, lhe expenditure involved would depend on the amount of support accorded, and the c'asses would probably bo self-supporting from the' start. Tne Canterbury College classes were a little over the held, ci owl of the boy*, but popular •«*»»; wry classes would probably be attended to Mr Bwven, Mr -Pooth said that ha was sure several hundreds of boys In the tuition by correspondence, and some of tha Ameman «£ respondenca echcols supplied \ good instruction. Th« ehowcrf that there was a genuine demand for 'a*™*""-, ' Mr J M. Taylor, of Taylor and Oakley, plumbers and garters Mid tMfJJJJ. Ling more attractive and 'P^"- I**1** ba provided for apprentices. at Home and in the colony of apprentices emerged from- their »PP rentlc * 'hip with no efficient knowledge of-ttae truth. If the. classes were to be of beneht to th* plumbins trade, the f»£iict»» must be distinctly practical. Ih» «**. it won-d be very ne*«ory to have the practical part of t»e plumbing woik taught in tJw eLk» He maintained that it a lad Sifed ?n a workshop to qualify for the DrSge Board's examinations, he would have to wait a very for the boy| required special tuition in o*dqr,to be successful. With sudh -tuition- apprentice Sd obtain his Drainage Board certificate when b9 had completed his apprenticeship. UnKlTpresent system' «• .employe,* had to have I greater part <«to.«*™«»« to the workmen, and some of thewcrinnen were not partftularly anxious;to biiag on a the (mai W an#!Taylor said that in Wellington and Dunedin ticcs passed wttjumt difficulty the Uiainage Board's examinationi aiter bavmg wowved tuition at the ecrhools.^.. A quantity of wp*, not controlled by the Drainage Boaid, should unly ba undertaken by realty and regulations to thlfc effect ebou,d be «n r forced Iv Wellington several carpenters had pawed the plumbers' examination, *M obtained in ortkr tihat they might do plumbing work in conneotiorn with th*ir

Mr Graham, a local builder, emphasiecd the necessity of filiing tip profitably the gap between the time when a boy. left school and when lie entered on hia apprenticeship. The requiremeotfl of the building trade were practically filled by tb» School of Art, but tuition in geometry and mathematk* was also required- At tte end of » five years' apprenticeship a boy should be acompetes** worker as a carpenter or <a stonemason. The number of masona in the city had increased largely during the last six-years, toe addir tionai men coming from other parts- ' Mr C. Tftylor saad the' training of the boye could never be oarrl«id out properly uotil the bftys were legaEy bound. ■■'■;",' Mr Graham laid, "in reply to qtestiotos; that the beys could receive 'material twsuri> a nee at tho continuation clashes'; iiv mathematics, drawing, and geometry;•'.;•■ It would be an additional benefit to tlie boys if /these continuation classes were fo.'iowted by trade claseee. Only the itock joinery 4 work was done in the mill, but joinery work outside the stock description was done in th-s shops. Mr Barbour, reprefientuig the Brass Pounders' Union, eaid that during the fasb'irintwr the iron moulders attempted to have a theoretical class formed at Canterbury CoT.ege or the School of Art, but the Board of Governors deciiK'd to accede to the request; A class in moulding was absolutely essential,' for it was only a moulder here and there that had a knowledge of tlie component parts of moulding sand, and the mixing of metals. He thought the Board could 'g«4 a man in Christohurch to conduct th-e clase. "' WKea the Canterbury College^ ! proached the Union cou/1 guarantee twenty members of the cl«i«s. He had not th« slightest doubt but that the clae*; would' be very well aWended. . Mr Bradley, a master pointiy, said that the School of Art covered the groiind so far as painting wae concerned!;.. The painting class, however,■„ was only held once a week, and that was not sufficient.

Mr E. Gohns, speaking for the tailoring trade, said that the New Zealand trade 'was fnst developing into sections, and a large bulk was being captured by female workers. 'Certain sections of the trade, those which required a large amount of t-kill, could never be turned out by the female workers. If theoretical classes were established it would Ife of great advantage to the members of the trade. In ordsf to keep up with London and Paris standards the trade in New Zealand would have to be levelled up by means of classes. He suggested that the classes should take ths> form of lectures with practical demonstrations. He 4»elieved that one instructor would be sufficient, and there were several first -class men in Christchurch, any of whom would be competent to conduct -the class. The larger shops refused to take apprentices, for the reason that they were more trouble than they were worth, awl that the firms made nothing out of them. The Cliainnan expressed his pleasure that the employers were so sensible of the welfare of the community, as to com* hefore the Board of Mas&gere and gk» their opinions concerning. their different trades. Mr J. A. McCullough pointed out that the School of Engineering at Canterbury College had been of too little practical advantage, for it had confined its curriculum practically to engineers only. He hoped the Board of Managers would not fall into the same error.