TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 906, 27 August 1910, Page 3

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.

./- QUESTION -OF- LOCAL 'EATING.

The Education l Board's Conference, .on ' Thursday' turned its attention to' the Minis-: '■' terial announcement "that 'local bodies vould-be:expected to maintain their technical schools,: assisted by subsidies of; <£ for £ from flie Government, and re- , :solved:— . ■ - .',.'. , ,'.. ; ' . : . . "That as the time has not arrived for tho adoption of a X'for £ basis in..respect to ;grants in;, aid of buildings" for. technical ufetruction;- this conference is of opinion that 1 it'will bo a fatal'mistako on • ,the part of .the Department to make. the.: further progress of technical education.de- '• pendent, upon local .rating, and that, in ' view of the iact that technical education : . .benefits all dassos of the community,"and, thaf the students are. drawn from wide : areas, adequate provision should horinada. N for its entire maintenance by the. Govern-. /■ ment.V; '. ■-.• ... .. ; . .. ; ' ' ■ ;: In support of the recommendatioivllr.. : C. H. Opie (North Canterbury)'said tlit ■if the expressed intention of the Jlinister were, put into operation the development !'of technical education, which had of'recent years bcaorae widespread in .New :•■' Zealand, would be arrested.' ' ■ • ■■" The Ksv; P..8. 'Eraser Punedin) held' that they, should not' discourage local: • I effort. ; Where a district was; prepared,■ in its enthusiasm; to.find'a : sum towards erection of a suitable-building, architecturally worthy of its purpose, the Government should continue to subsidise such efforts. . 'v' . , ;.. ••■;■;. Mr. C. J. Parr (Auckland) agreed, but . the Government should not,be ou.fvijragod' ; to believe, all the same, that-is'V.as no.t expected to continue in its obligation to , 'fester technical education, by,; advancing . 'sums for the. establishment jf. institu- ■ tions for tho'purpose where none existed. • ■ ' The chairman poiried out that, the Minister's announcement.-'. ■ was ' not so ■ isweeping'iu' its intention as some .dele-' gates appeared to b'elicve'. What the 'Minister intended ,to convey was 'that . where'considerable expenditure hadolready been made the district so benefited-' '■ should be capable of carrying on, once started,. and extending .this. work. Huge sums had bran expended in'Ch'ristchurch, ' : for example.'while other places had been • starved. . ■-• ' ' .. :