TECHNICAL SCHOOL TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 87, 5 January 1918, Page 2

TECHNICAL SCHOOL TEACHERS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED At the annual meeting of tho N.Z. Technical School Teachers' Association, there were present delegates from various branches, including Auckland, Dunedin, and Ashhurton. Mr. l'\ Neve, M.A., LL.IL, 8.8 c., president, was in tho chair. Tho secretary and treasurer (Mr. It. J. Thompson) presented his Animal report and balnnecsheot, showing a credit balance of £■!•"> '2s. Dd., which wcro received and adopted. Tho following officers wore elected for tho ensuing two years:—: President, A. li. Mooro (Ashhurton); vice-presidents, H. J. Thompson (Auckland); secretary and treasurer, Miss ,1. 13. Wilson, 13.A. (Dunedin); executive committee, Misses C. B. Mills, M.A., B.Sc. (Clhristchurcb); K. Williams (Wellington); Messrs. F. Neve (Auckland); and J. B. llaillio (InvciwThe following remits, some of which evoked keen discussion, were carried: "That this association reaffirms its view that secondary education in tho daytimo for a. period of at least two years, should be compulsory and free to all, and books, instruments, and materials to be provided. "That it is desirable that students should commence their secondary education one year earlier than at present, and that the leaving ago bo raised to 16. , "That this association deprecates most strongly any attempt to modify tho courses or work in techuical high schools and in other technical classes in the direction of substituting additional theoretical for practical instruction. "That the travelling expenses of tho president and general secretary, when attending the annual meeting of tho association, he an annual chargo against the funds of tho association; that in view of tho depleted state of tho association's funds, the charge for tho present ho limited to first-class faro "That provision bp made for tho adequate training in teaching of assistants in technical schools.

"That a'committee be sot up to consider ways and means of obtaining a technical magazine either separately or in conjunction with otber educatioual bodies. . "That separate representation on tho Council of Education, bo given to technical school teachers and boards of governors. "That, in cases where an 'individual teacher is referred to in the annual report of tbo Inspector of Technical Schools, the governing bodies bo asked to supply to the teacher concerned a copy of that part of tho report making such references. "That with a view to giving greater weight to technical school certificates: (a) A Dominion Board of Examiners be set up. (b) That for tho guidance of instructors a syllabus of work be prepared for all subjects in which tions aro held.

"That the Arbitration Act bo amended in the following directions:—(a) To make- it compulsory for all apprentices to attend a technical school j (b) to relax tho apprenticeship conditions in favour of those technical school students, whose work in a prescribed vocational course is satisfactory; (c) no apprentice under 20 years bo allowed to work overtime. "That all Government Departments employing skilled labour ..be asked to recognise and give- credit for the work done by applicants who havo had a technical education. "That the Public Service Commissioner be respectfully asked to retain the Public Service examinations until such a time as the matriculation .examination is widened to allow of its being taken by technical students. "That the association consider tho question of affiliation with the Workers' Educational Association. "That technical schools should have separate representation on tho Council of Education. "That the Minister of Education'and other' Cabinet Ministers be approached with a view to linving technical and continuation classes made compulsory for apprentices and other workers under 17 years of age, such classes to be hold before 5 p.m."

The Secondary School Age. Speaking to the remit, "That it is desirable.that students should corameuce their secondary eduoation wirlier than at present, and that the leaving age be reduced to 16," the president, Mr. Neve, .said %t Ins branch (Auckland) felt that it was necessary for the secondary'.'and technical school-to got into touch with, and have charge of, children a year earlier than at present, so that the ground for the new. work might he broken in that year instead oif giving i revision work such as is now being done in Standard VI. Mr. Thompson (Auckland) said that it was very necessary that the year qf revision work should be retained, as it was the revision that drovo homo the i'aots learned in the preceding }ears. There was a danger of the child being rushed into specialised eduoation at too early an age and before he had sufficient grounding upon' which to build a sound special education. Moreover, it must be remembered that out of over 15,000 students who left the primary, school in 1916 not more than one-third proceeded to leave day schools, and unless secondary education wore made compulsory there was a danger that about 70 per cent, of new primary students would be deprived of part of their education in order that'the other 30 per cent, might benefit. What was to become of these students if they were required to leave the primary schools even ono year earlier than at present? To his mind the matter was to he remedied first by raising the age at which children bo allowed to go out to work, and by making education compulsory until at least the age of 16. Mr. Moore (Ashburton) said that it seemed to him that some such alteration as suggested by tbo remit was necessary, and tho most important point to'his mind was that,tho change to tho adolescent period did not synchronise with the change from .primary to secondary education, consequently there was a'feeling on the part of tho ioy—oven when not urged by parenta,! ciroumstancos to become a wageearner—that his education at 14 is finished. Further, this ago of 14 was fixed bv our legislators and employers so that no child should bo employed until well '"to the adolescent period, and unfortunately it has also been taken to be the .ige when secondary education should commence, which really defeats its own object. If wo could have an intermediate high school starting at an earlier age than at present it would obviate the distinct break which now obtains, aiidf the change of subjects occurring with the change of adolescence would render the transition stage from primary to secondary an easy que, and would give the pupils when they reached tho ago of 14 a desiro to go on with their education. In other wqrds, tho psychological and physiological change should come at one and tbo same timo, so that our children should get a fresh outlook and interests, and an incentive to continue their education. Miss Wilson (Dunedin) pointed out that this intermediate stage staid ho and is educational training rather than purely vocational, including a? it does m the present syllabus of technical

high schools, English, arithmetic, history, geography, and dries. Our girls iu technical high schools receive n sound training. For instance, girls taking the domestic course receive literary training, and girls taking a commercial co'urso receive a domestic training, all with a view to an .•illround efficiency. Many hoys and girls in our> State schools do not pass through tho sixth standard, and it is necessary in their own interests and in tho interests of the community that some provision ho mado for meeting tho case. A Byslcm. now in vogue in Australia provides that boys and girls may qualify from tho fifth standard, and so enter upon their training to fit them for tho future. Tho remit as stated above was passed. Votes of thanks were passed to tho •retiring president and the secretary for their valuable work to the association, also tho Wellington branch of the N.7/.T.S.T.A. for their hospitality. It was decided to hold the next annual mooting in Dunedin,