EFFICIENCY BOARD.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16162, 16 March 1918, Page 9

EFFICIENCY BOARD.

* THE EDUCATION ENQUIRY. j PRELIM IX AR Y DISC USSIOX. Very interesting addre*sci wore given on Thursday evening at the informal meet ins in tho Efficiency Board's rooms ou matters germane to the enquiry to bo opened noxt Tuesday morning, respecting national odueation as applied to professions, trades, and industries. The Canterbury Commissioner on the National Efficiency Board (Mr J. A. Frostick) presided, and ■ there ivwe present representatives of the three principal city committoss of the Board, and of Canterbury College, the Christchurch Technical College, and the Canterbury Education Beard. Mr Frostick, in opening the meeting, briefly snatched tiio of tnu eaunci roierreU to tne Scientiiio i Industrial Research Report ol tne r Board, wnich, no stated, had been comS' plctcd. 'Ine principal object of the enquiry was to ascortain the directions in which' tne national system of education required to bo developed to more adequately preparo the youtn of the Dominion for their life's work. Evidence 'would bo taken in tho first place, on the theoretical side of the question, lfld ho hoped to be assisted in this )hnko of the enquiry by the professors «t Canterbury College, and also by ;hosn engago'd in primary, secondary, and technical instruction. Evidence would then be sought as to i.ow the •ducirbion systom could be so applied to ndustries, professions, and occxipa;ions as to obtain the maximum result. Mr Frostick emphasised the looessity for co-ordination and for ;echnical instruction, L';at would be of assistance to tho studont during his apprenticeship. Mr J. C. Adams, chairman of tho Board of Governors of Canterbury Colic#c, in the course of his remarks, said he presumed that tho Board's idea was to eliminato, as far as possible, from the education systom—from primary ' school to university—the loss and •waste of encrpv due to overlapping, There was, he admitted, a large amount of overlapping, but a certain amount was unavoidable in order to ensure the linking nn between the different stages. Referring to research and technical education, lie stated thnt there was under consideration at nresent a suggestion that the professors of science and the laboratories at Canterbury College should be utilised for " tho benefit of tho community, instead of for that of a few students. Replying to a question from Mr Frostick, Mr Adams said that tho present status and remuneration of teachers wore not sufficiently high to attract tho beet meri and women to the profession. This matter was . one thnt needed very careful consideration, and hp was of opinion that any public money spoilt m raising the status of teachers would ofc-a sound national investment. Mr C. H. Opie, chairman of tho Canterbury Education Board, spoko of the necessity for a farm school as an - adjunct to primary education, and rotten to the failure of tile Education Ward to obtain grants for technical agricultural scholarships, and to i ic *° SCCUro entrance to Lincoln College for the winners of agricultural scholarships. Hp spoke strongly in favour of the extension of agricultural education, and made it clear thnt ~~ w- , H catlon Board Lad not overJOOKed the matters mentioned by tho commissioner in his oponing remarks. 'il.' Diroctor of tho Chnstchurch Technical Collage, made for a central scientific and technical library, which would bo availablo to students in all parts of the Dominion. On tho subject of education generally, he cited Scotland and America as sources from which valuable intottnation could be obtained. Nearer AWne, he referred to !Vcw South Wales, *hich, during the last few vears. had made rapid progress in the development of its general system of odueation, and in the co-ordination of its " tfichmcal instruction with industries, ile was of opinion that it would pay the-Government to send two or three qualified men to examine and report on the progress of education in the counmentioned. As to apprenticeship, he favoured tho "twin system"— a systom which originated in Cincinnati, under which the apprentices work in.pairs, one week or "a fortnight in school, and the same periods in tho fforktliop. ' tor R- Dickinson, Principal of Andrew's College, in a lengthy and ery interesting address, emphasised tnei n«d for training in civics and in matters of sniritual and icsthetic importance. Whilst not discounting the necessity for nroner and efficient industrial traminc, ho was of opinion > 'm resulted from the exclusion fJrTed"to > ' ia j r£v " Mr Geo. Scott, chairman of tlio r2ii Governors of the Technical A n r, kp of th ° work done at the College, and enr-hnsised the J f ? r co -° , ; ,,ir I nt io n between tho different stages of orlncation.