TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18690, 13 May 1926, Page 12

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS

(FRKSo ASSOCIATION TILSGHASt)

WELLINGTON, May 11. The conference of Technical School teachers considered a number of remits. The following were adopted:— That the executive gives notice of the following addition to the constitution: No branch shall bring before the Minister for Education, or the Education Department, any matter affecting Technical School teachers of the Dominion as a whole, except through the executive of the Association, and no branch shall bring before the Education Board or Technical School Board of its district any mattor affecting manual or Technical School teachers of the education district as a whole, except through a committee, consisting of representatives of all branches in the district or of proxies appointed by representatives. ' That a system of Technical School examinations and certificates be established by the Education Department with the advice and assistance of an expert Technical Schools Board. That tho Senate of the University bo asked to recognise, as soon as practicable, the work of Technical Schools, and credit for work dono in approved Technical Schools bo given, as part of the courses for degrees and diplomas.

That it is desirable that the Education Department convene conferences of University Collego staffs and Technical School staffs in each University centre, with a viow of co-ordinating the work of the two institutions, and thus avoiding overlapping, tho proceedings of these conferences to bo forwarded to the Technical Schools Board and Education Department. That special representations be made to the Department urging tho adoption of Mr Tate's recommendations for improving tho standard of technical education in New Zealand, particularly in respect to (a) Technical School examination, (b) accrediting students for entranco to University courses, (c) University diploma courses to be taken partly at Technical Schools. That this Association is strongly opposed to any suggestion that commercial subjects should be removed from tho syllabus of Technical Schools, and considers such a step would be especially detrimental to the welfare of the children.

Commercial Subjects,

When the question of commercial education was advanced, it was decided to request the Department to publish a statement revealing its intention relative to depriving Technical Schools of their commercial classes, as teachers for commercial positions in Technical Schools were said to .bo diffident about applying when the fate of thesq classes was uncertain. A resolution was also carried asking the Department to give the Technical School Teachers' Association an opportunity of placing forward its views on the retention of the commercial classes. Christchurch sent tho following remit, which was adopted: That the executive of tho Association be asked to take steps to dispel the niisapprehension on the part of the public and in Mr Tate's report, in respect to the numbers taking the commercial and general courses of tho' Technical Schools. Conference will urgo that in all cases Junior High Schools should be attached to both Technical Schools and to ordinary secondary schools, when such exist.