TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 684, 8 December 1909, Page 3

TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

ANNUAL PRIZE-GIVING. ; A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. The annual distribution of prizes awarded to pupils attending the Wellington Technical School took place at St. Peter's.Schoolroom last ovomng. Thcro was a, large attendanco of parents and friends. Mr.'J. P. Luke, M.P., chairman of tho Technical' Education Board, presided, and in tho course, of his introductory remarks congratulated tho school on tho results of the year's work; especially, lie 6aid,, w . a :';.£ m " t l >«0 wlien tho restrictions and disabilities under which tho staff laboured were taken into account.' In spito of these disabilities tho school had attained" a high standard ot efficiency. They had heard a great deal about their new school, and in that'connection ho would say.that tho realisation of their hopes was not far distant. Tho City Council had set aside the Mercer Street site as an endowment for technical education for all timo. (Applause.) All that now remained to bo dono was the putting of a Bill. through Parliament, ana,tho provision of an up-to-date building on the John;Streot site. • (Applause.) .' In tho courso of an interesting review of tho year s work, the" director of the school (Mr. )\. S.La Trobo) said that a serious problem' m education, had yet to be solved. "When wo consider, he said, "that sixty per cent, of tho pupils of the primary, schools do not obtain cortibcates- of proficiency, and leave school for work at about age,' we realise the need for elementary evening: continuation schools, and.l think I am justified in saying the need for further training, especially of those who are apprenticed to a trade, and l, 1 . i be s ol ? e intelligent and cultivated' in"'lF'Hworkers., When wo consider further, ihe .Director wont on to say that the.year majority leave school after, at most, .two years in. a secondary or technical day school, wo easily see that our educationists cannot afford tW°,"J * n ? ainl * those who are going furtnei in all day courses, but must largely concentrate their; attention on tho very important problem of the further education of-the vast majority ,yh g g^to work between the ages of whnlW I \Xftlns'large class has been almost wholly neglected in the past;and is not yet at ol |l adequately provided for." w i„ Dirootor l vent 'on to-say that the year ■JjL^S l m ?L *>l id -work, and steady proSA f tendance good, upwards of 1700 individual students havmfe been enrolled'dur--"J 6 evenin B.:olasses were well H. n Si du r ns S° y< : ar ' and better work on tho whole done <ihtm m previous years.' The most promising students in tho evening classes f, thn J^/', 10 lm \ e , had ** least *™> *°™ J,.i uo da j; "assfs before going to work.; The average attendance in. all classes was■ stcadilv improving, especiallyvin the evening Ke| !™ 015 the greatest'room for improve: mont. Ilie system of notifying; parents■'- of irregularities, which was introduced inX las LI r ™\,T, h ? I Ti ? B > Sood effect, though it was romarkaMo, that-in'nearly 50 per cent of cases no replies were receivedfrom paS and guardians .to these inquiries' as to the W« 1^^ 1 or absence of students ; f L i U,to t - I ? en presonted "'a Prizes to tho successful pupils. The prize-list was published m The Dominion yesterday. I'uonsnca