NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 4

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

.;-.>.;■ ■':'.-; : (By v SOCRATE3.)'; ' ' . ' ■ ' ; ■ :-.:.."'.' '.' <'-...:;:■■'.-■:■:?■. --, ■■;,;-.- :■-.•..•'■.■.■.■: TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN WELLING- ;..;:.,'.-;'.': v.i; : :C:;'.TpN.'•...:-.. ;-.-., --;,;>; . vln^a , rnesf.-interesting Mprt on %' rirpposed new -technical, college I :iriVWclHrigton; ■the'diroctof,: Mr. y. S/hn' Trqbe,. has, by' w,ay.of:pre,faco, SQinethinil to say' cqiweatv 'i>g V'o. geiieral oiitlp.p.k ; for 'Jt-eohn'ical' education here.' 'His remark's are wfirtji nuptjng. ,!Uid deserving pf %,. of the cpminuiiity: . : "'■'.-■' ./"■ *' " ; ■'' '• '';.'! .; "In making plans for-"a-tecliriical School,!' qbserves Mv- :■ ia Trobe, "it is well ; to find as far he,-->yKat-t.hfi' needs'of people? are" likely 'to-b.e.' in -the: n,extfew years, arid in what way technical tpachmg will grow and' cliange a,« time Qn.--- In, other lands "th^re;'.Wtye,"beenVgreai changes the.VlasV forty,: year-s' : in:'"ihb tynds-of knpwledge which have:'been- taught m thpso: schools. . At -first the olasses were held mainly:with.the"'aim of adding, a Jitile tp:,the workman's {stock- of trade "ways"of doing thinga,:and not.so.much w\th. the hqpe, :pf lifting. ejeh praft'tQ .tha YaiitagV gro'uii'd of a'.combined art;'and science. - ::, - , ; ;'. •; "Latterlvi i^'. technical scliqgl has -busied- itself mainly .with "this; side, of the worker's. training, the more so as the cUd apprenticeship rule has" had • its 'day, and ■: the. workman lip "longer" "get's %i& 'learning ■froni.hia.;master.: .■-latterly,; also," the'tephniCμ - school..- ruling -.■ bodies have :seen 'more rslainly .that.,it is: well.tb let .the,student pome/toi'.sch.ool;at. air ! early ; agcs,.: whaft 'the youthful..; « " keen after learning -ancl' TOay b,.n. moaji : tft the/' riglit shape., ; for>doibg its life-work "well. By those -ioo, there !is -now "as small a break between",the; general'elementary^' schpq] wprk : Mid -:trado'training; :ftt''.<(l\6:Bflpiif"ae lyhentjie boy,went'straight from.his. schoolmaster to his.trade master.-; The better'side? of, qlder; syst™.;are thusV kept : to : fore'''in' the ;nmvi .with ";gain to bPth ■ the young worker JMi;wi?^ r : ?fflp%erf. • ":;•;, ■¥■ ,:; •■ Atj .the .same. W;%t". the , :'.qf scienpa and wo growth ' of.; modern twde.: W-rpHght'such'. changes, jn'th'eybpng 1 tra'de3mart's"-:,tra,jrijng,.: : tliesa -very::..ehaijge"r have thenjselve.tj reached qn, the niethodg. uqed by;,teaphers-.gerierall,v: "Hence the, qlder li^r-, , »ry/ : and ; mathematical, themes;, and 'Ihe'time-' lyprri. ways;' of .'.'syllogism.- liave, largely,' given ■jT*yV^?9 r^-^9r^''9ift^W9?w3'.-'.^tJib3s, . ;to. subjepts. whioh. are .now'-.ey.eryday' :commb.nplac|?.''iji.'.tr'aq^e';and industry;.... On?:' may-reaquy see,also .fpr.learning t|io. :dead yery' small: ; aipE(g^dp vfhat \V, must; have; been: a't. the' t'ime pfithe. when;.there'"was but little 1 -good' .Ufcra.-ljUre;.in':.'Eria^ phy,: the'art, and the' gpience of. tj^e'.aiic^pjits'', w,erq. still .locked /tip', in .strange" '*drds i and strange •..forms, of. '.th'ou'ght.;.'. -the; r .or. : indeed.', the ■n}a!j,.'Be' ; jT d.om 'reads,: his''Latin ,;ana'Greek;.to , gotatiwhat :tlie,;ancients' thpught can get that.,miich:b9tter.in tjrip'.'pnglieh'^r^mes.! of.: sbJiolafs,'' Si and. . - -. lisually. studies'ithpse languages':".partly :for ; the-sake' :o,f;_the :: mental: training 'involved,::but- largely; bjecaus,e>they have; been held' to be..pa.rt of a] 'stpek-itj-trade ■ f°T ; , ?p, le n g-'. It -is:easily/found;- th^'gbqa-min^ ; itramirjg can bo,, got .w;thbut';tho rde'ad - lan?., '^uages.,..perhaps moreVcertainlyf.thiw .wiftV; 'th.at ,a, dei?p'.knowledge' of his: own: tongue. andy'hjYown -trade.-will, give ip Mo ; trades-: : 'tnan,'§-' self-respect;' , - and, indeed, r a culttirp iYhich: is: of , nTi(o]iihigher.vwoirtlil'.in" a^depio- , .pratio;people t.htiii ■-•'the ; ipka'siiig,.;but : cqmV: naratjyely. useless,'.classical polish. S.Th'eiprp , -. ifpssipris i of: : med,idine and dentistry- are'; gop : d m :ii :fe?s !:ife: m, yoar§?|go^he.callings l of medical': man and respe6ted.; : .'; Sijico' , t^ieri;the'..technioal'training , : of-. the /medical: ■P n!^?'^^^!l'; PF9f^fipn totljfi tpp.' -,"And. 'in -the.same^waji'vthoTprpfe.ssipri of :dentistry/has:;been:- ! lifted':by -mean's" of training: thqilast two" ".scdre'' 'ljffca.•■(vnd.'-'i&WW?/ \i '\rj^;'!.';.'v l . ■: ( then,'■iiv-.any' way deprqeiatiiig., the _.T[4|up':of,..the older classical.fand mathefor .'those whose'professions requira^-. a',, deep. ;nrst-handv knowelagq'ofj.aii-' i , oie^^)9^n ! .that' is riot : b"y : 'i^'n necessary for the'j'ast..majority of':thqs6:wliq- : schools -at -alii i but: who .-musi -how' lpok -tP'. ■'purelKiediictoihar institution's , ' for: ; the{l)ottcr v Vofitheip .tjaiijing. /'guWe'ci^'th^ .Gupy ijjlje; mjii^:of, t^e' wprker al}.-Hii-lifetfthes' .rjiadq,v*ihe::. vehicles:;. of true ■'/mental■< deyelbp:.: ■meniijvsnould •be : :ormtte4..from. . thO scljobl.-;cpurso, / at' any. r/at.e -. j'n: later years ;his sohool life.,-:';: .' ;/ '■;■'..{' :";tV.■■'•.if-, .';?,: ■ IThere is ;no ■ doubtj-." that , .:thq -young . trade|man: must begin ■ .liis shop.' training 'in ■jthe^yagt, majority;. Pr cases' hVabcwt ~ 'the ago: of,- , sixteeiiV.years.' , : Even' jri 'pqpirjea; pjmt.■ ■favoured ..from the 'social poin.tpf Y\ow. ; .t]ijj' 4's''.pr^ically:the . limiting agej 'if'we.have'Vef f'"ard tjqHhe--trade"" ; le : ainqng. the'Lworker?; : 1 : $)njecjilβ^tlyj''. if \yq pjjly the,last 'twj}- ygar? : pf school train: ing ;tfl = include' subjects .'connected'Syitli'- the : fiiturg /calling grac'tjppi;, begm-his/'technicgl': trilling '.. : about yflie: age; of ■;this'.qfluntryi'^he, has passb'tl : through'liis/'p'ub-' :lic school courses. ./Wheijis(_iis/ a:,hraricn .;pfi the_ tecnnical/college/or.as a' ; separatq.inß|i%tutipi(j wo: ; shquld.-.therefore : include,' a/prev .pjara^qry:technical;day/schppl ip/our' teenrii-': ■qal 'e'diicatioii.system./:-.;//',"- ''-'■T^'■ //i-;:': .'■'■'.■:.''■:' !:;'.-Tjifs. school training,of^hb'yqung trades-: man/v-jnust"inptj , .ho>yoyei. .s'tw/'jyhen.hg gqps: ,wqrkV..V.Tl{e '.teq.iJnicd'pqKqql■ swteni^must -■ProTid.e/ta-spro'e^ .16. beqgniing,expert.iii tlje-rputijiQ^^ : Wqrk^ivh'o; : :|her manual or mental,:"of his" 'qrto,"'. |p, many.' this , nafv q{ /the :fadesnian'eV/%phi\ipal;,training 7^p ■s' '":■ jjgen' ■inainly.'carried ■iqn.Mn,:^Y§n/i^g:' r ■resul|'S;>wliicli,;:hqweyer/e.hc'ouragihg -in; sp"e','qial. papes;,/§aii 'scarcely.-:b^: , "Pntirely. jf/wp ■ the, average.'■'.-. Itf. ■truth, ; evening .classes,;,' held, two or. , three' :times/ a weeki are not adequate'.for the sound training.ipf-tlie/j'piihg worker." /Such' ..classes: 4ro"emipp'ntly,."siu'tabUj for filling in gaps.in' -W° Ij»ini!i;'e? -\m. WMbx- : W [ fpr rglving 1 mm opportunities to extend arid .his, already- sound arid/fairly "coin-' '.jjletji. equipment: by>slsdie's;. in/ subjects,ger r : ijiarip. toVhis own putside'his' orpitir' ijry practice;-/Henpo:;tlipfe-is'a.very,deoidjd.: tendency' in , : the :direQtion of providing day. qlnsies. for. young' and .Arrangements,:';'as:will. ; e,\h\i ,of a c.9%iri ! "aj : . /.terhatihgiiofigpl^opi/:'.and'."/shop/, i'training';' such'errange'ment's have- so'far been, ipadfj/mainly''/in :t,he ; of/ university : ; s,tudents: in ■'. subjects, and mot so 'mubh ; . in;.tne'. ca§q of brdjrjary/ appycn-f.ices, yet the :metj]opl : so.. fibyjqujly and'; commqn-•^eiise/--that/}!;'J»ave:'ng-:dq^bi(i::jt-,wiir.be','r«ry, i greyly'extendpd/in 'the pear 'future. ' Our-. .technical : systqjij / ffill'" : portly. 'inplude', ;these : brandies,:—r' ;, ; : S':- '' :/;■': ■ ~" : ; .//V- ':■.C -:\ -?-". ' '..."(I) /Preparatory/day school for , boy's, and' :gjrlsAgoing;intq v ;,,- : ,/: v .: .::;:; .:.■ : : r /iVi(2).Detraining : classes .for ' ticee;. (b)/": students rea/djiVg with/ a, view 'to ijakihg university.cpur§e]i,;- ..-'.,j.;,.:...; >:/ f 'M : ,; n .;: thW.';higher! b,raijphe's of;eftQh'/tradp.- Th,ese classes , could b,e gfaded,: ajid.' might .take, xvorjs and r alsb for the ' ... ~..;" ':/:: ! -"|n some, p'puntries'-all/-these -s'eotjoh's- are . nianaged by/pne authority with one staff, in ;qrie/pet of buildings ;,jii pt^pr: pquntj-ifla,t^" 'various sections ars separated, and iti mahyj , furtnqr subdiyide'd. according to : subject. In "a:sniall..tqwn/liko'.Wellington,' I/think-.there paii ;bo no doubt that.thje/whole of the.Zwprk <should bej'Bß : far-hs.possiblej carried but by ,'(jnb/managing body, -aiid- for, the sakq pf qconpuiy and efficiency, by one staff in onq set also:of opinion thai tlie. :qf. , managers ajiould be '■■ closely i(ssqciated : .wit.H the municipal Z -govprriing .l)pdy, as is.the case in-,thq Mpther Couri" try". "';;'!'■: /'-":,"" ,;? -'- '."/ : "-/; '- '. : !r: