College Director Hits Out At Trade Schools

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1949, Page 7

College Director Hits Out At Trade Schools

WELLINGTON, Oct. 10. Fears for the standard of apprenticeship in New Zealand and that "the Pie' sent low standard of craftsmanship which is even now apparent," may be perpetuated, were expressed by the director of the Wellington Technieal College, Mr. R. G. Ridling, in reply to the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. Skinnev, on matters arising out of a report by Mr. Ridling to the recent cont'erence on teclinical education. In his letter to the Minister, Mr. Rid , iing states that the. Minister 's_ statement to the press contained obvious inaccuracies. Mr. Ridling had >not at ant^ time belittled the work done by the Government in providing training foi returned servicemen. On the contrafy, he had given assistance where necessary in the establishment of courses oi training. He had, however, frequently criticised and condemned the mainten ance of schools for the training of men who, in the words of the Minister 's own statement, "wanted to change their jobs. " Such courses were not de signed to provide a continuing system of satisfactory training, alternative to apprenticeship. "I do not mind your denunciation oi my judgment, " says Mr. Ridling m the letter to the Minister, "but your effort to discredit me is surely undignified and unbecoming a klinister of thi Crown. I ani concerned, however, tha1 you should publicly discredit the wort of the teclinical colleges. They havt problems of accommodation, equipmen' and staff with which you, as Ministei in charge of a priviieged departiuem. cannot be familiar. I am ready tc admit weakuesses in their managemen and in their ability to provide efficienl and, indeed, any teclinical training ii some branches of the building industry but these are not due to lack of aware uess by the managers or instructors in teclinical schools."

Mr. Ridling added that the relativi rnerits of a long course of training by apprenticeship and of a short course oi training in trade schools, were coudi tioned by the fact that students in trade schools were paid a living wagt to undergo training whereas appren tices in teclinical schools were not. Mr. Ridling said he was aware that the Federation of Master Builders and Federation of Labour had aireadv ex pressed disapproval of the substitutioi, of the sliort course of training in trade 1 schools for long term training by ap j prenticeship. A continuance of thc practice at present being followed bihe Minister 's Department, would without doubt discredit and ultimatelv de stroy apprenticeship and would perpet uate* the low standard of eraftsmanshi] which was even now apparent.