TECHNICAL TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3123, 29 June 1917, Page 6

TECHNICAL TRAINING

EVILS OF NIGHT CLASSES DIRECTORS PROPOSE THEIR ABOLISHMENT Important proposals affecting Llie attendance at evening classes of young people engaged as apprentices to trade.! «'i-r<; made,.-it the conlcreiiei; of directors and supervisors of technical education yesterday. Mr. Oeorgo George, chairman, said that in iiis opinion one of the most important pieces of business before the conference whs the i|uestion of the training of apprentices and the introduction of compulsory attendance at technical classes in the day time. U<> moved: That all boys mid girls under the jijo of eighteen years should be compelled to receive instruction in theday time for not less than eight hours per weclc at continuation classes. "1 think wo arc all-agreed,' , Piiid ill". Gi'orge, "i hat the time lias come when owning chiefs for \uung people should, be abolished. We know f|iiilo well the hanii that is being done l< l a large number of our Iki.vh mid girls by attendance at; clashes in the evening. .Many of them whi) are. most oiirnest mul xecnest to got. on, v -o far as the evening elnssofi arc coiU'Pi'iteil, come of poor parents, are often not to., well nourished, and whilo mentally alert and keen arc, inferior in pbysiqiii , . AVllilo many coaie through, main- are broken in Hm attempt, fine doc".' not. want lo talk of Germany, but we know Hint, in Munich they obtained excellent result? from Hip use of a system like the one proposed, and one, cannot help feeling that something should bo done, to remedy the present defects. There would be a little inconvenience to some of the employers, but the. tremendous advantage -to the nation would moro than compensate for such inconvenience." Mr. Unwell: It would be necessary, if you wisli to progress in this direction, to secure the co-operation of the National Efficiency Board. .1 hope representations will go before tho board pointing out what has been agreed upon in this connection.

Mr. Possey said (lint lie Saw innuj difficulties in the way of executing the proposal Miilaiui'il in thn motion. It might mean a loss of national efficiency. Mr. Gray sai<l (hut ho was going to support the motion. He thought Hint if the conference kept judiciously at work it would persuade this employers that it ivus not only possible, but that, it was advisable in their interests that the apprentiira ' should attend classes in the former's lime. Mr. Kalaugher said that his experience of compulsory classes in Auckland was that they were a great success. Ho thought it was a very distinct hardship lo expect a boy to do a. day's work and then go to evening classes. .Mr. Aloore said that the difficulty at present was to get a boy to associate his technical training with his work. The proposed system would tend to foster that association. Dr. Hansen also supported the motion. Tie t-aid ■fliat tho greatest difficulty would be met with in the plumbing trade, in which tho attendance of a boy upon a journeyman was absolutely necessary. In all tho other trades the difficulties could bo overcome much more easily. ■ Messrs I,a Trobe and Park added their support. il>. Park observed that in his opinion, if the best was to be done, tho students must got a fair rtiancc, and bo able to go to classes in the day time. Apprentices to the plumbing trade might finite easily attend on a Saturday ingThe. motion was carried.

DETAILS OF CONFERENCE'S PROPOSALS In the afternoon, a deputation from the Trades Council waited upon the conference to communicate- its views upon the training of apprentices. The.; members were: Mr. J. Reid (president)/ and Messrs. G. Booth. V. Cornwell, I). L. Kennedy, and A. Collins.

Mr. XJcid said that, considering as it did that the training of apprentices had broken down in the Dominion, the council solicited Ihq support of tho conference iu suggesting Mich legislation as would enable the children of (he workers to secure a reasonable standard of knowlodge. He proceeded to submit detailed proposals. The chairman, in reply, said that the conference had already adopted every suggestion that Mr. Ecid had made—in, fact, it had gone a little further in some directions. "We are asking'the Government." eaid Mr. George, "t.i> make the ago of attendance in the day time up to fifteen, years. Then we are asking that from that age to the age of eighteen Years all boys and girls should be compelled to attend eon I ill nation classes for at least eight hours per week. I would like to see it more," but, to get the thing started, it is better not to ask too much. AVe are asking also that employers should be compelled to provide that timo. and that where the hours of labour are fixed by award, the time should come out of them. AVo further recognise that there are cases where parents have children who, for the sake of the family, must earn a. certain amount of wages, and in order to avoid any difficulty arising from children's being kept at sehuol to the age of fifteen year?, we a?k the Government to provide' maintenance for tho children in such cases. We are further asking that the Arbitration Act should be amended so that awards shall .provide for tho apprentice spending at least eight hours of tho employer's time at a day-school. AYe know that eight hours' work a day is quite enough for a man, and to ask a growing boy or girl after eight hours' work at a trade to put in title at the evening classes is most unfair. , ',