THE CHILD'S FUTURE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2869, 6 September 1916, Page 6

THE CHILD'S FUTURE

'• FAULTS OF THE EDUCATION .SYSTEM. Recently tho Wellington Technical Education Board appointed -a subcommittee to consider some- of the problems of education, particularly in connection witS technical subjects. Tho committee supplied a report, which was laid before the members of the board at last night's meeting. The sub-committeo reported that in its opinion the primary' school course should' close when the pupil reached the age of twelve years. The primary ■course should be followed by a compul-sory/full-day course in a secondary school or a technical school till the age of fifteen years had been attained. Free places- should bo available after that age for pupils who wore qualified to proceed further with their studies in tlie secondary schools or the universities. Mr. W. H. Bennett said that there were several reasons why course in. a, secondary ■ or ft tcchnicfll school should be compulsory. Many of the children left school at the age of twelve years under the present system, but they were not admitted to apprenticeship until the age of sixteen years had been attained, and the result was that many bright children drifted into tho blind alley employments, and missed their cha'nco of becoming skilled workers. •The board decided that discussion or the report should be postponed nntil the following meeting in order that members might receive copies and give consideration to the questions involved in the -recommendations. The siibjcct was mentioned in a report from a visiting committeo which had inspected some of tho technical classes at work. "What can be done, to persuade vouths, to take lip mechanical trades?" asked the report, after referring to a (Icclhie in tlje numbc* of students in the carpentering and construction classes. "The outlook of the building trade, as far as certain branches arc concemcd, is black indeed. Where are we to (jet our future tradesmen? Wo aro not training them —in fact, the lads are not offering if the employers were willing to take them, which in many cases they seem unwilling to do. One is led'to ask, Is our system wrong—school days are'over at 14 years'of age, a lad is not ready to become an apprentice until the ago of lo bv 1G? Do the intervening years liavo a tendency to make them drift into other channels, as message boys to this or that? Should there not bo a system,of compulsorv continuation classes for a further term beyond the aao of 14? Com'parativelv few lads or lasses -will continue at school out of pure love, for it; there must be some compelling force, either at the time, or in tho future when the drudgery is over."