TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 296, 10 September 1919, Page 3

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

CONFERENCE OF DIRECTORS THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM DISCUSSED .Messrs. George George (Auckland), J. E. Newton (Napier), Dr. D. E. Haueon (Christohurcb.), Messrs. W. G. Aldridgo (Invorcargill), A. G. Tomkies (Westport), I<. C. J. Cockburn (Nelson), W. 1. Fossey (Timaru), F. D. Opie (I'almorBton North), G. J. Park (Wanganui), and J. H. Howell (Wellington) were pre. 6ent at tho conference of directors of technical colleges held yesterday. Mr. George was elected chairman. 'On taking his seat the chairman (stated that this was thoir third conference, and so far as tho results -were concerned he had to confess that they had been a wasto of time. They had fa deal with an unsympathetio Department. It seemed strange that tho Department, possessed as it was oi a wide knowledge of the requirements of technical education, 6hould take up tho attitude that it did not want tho cooperation or tho advice of experienced men. In New Zoaland a most prosperous time had been enjoyed, but in a K'ew years (say four or five) there would be keen competition with other countries, and, that being the case, more attention, should be paid to technical training and its ••advantages. The most important subject was that of finance, and he thought they should press the claims of technioal education for a. much larger grant than bad been available hitherto. He very much regretted that the remits and resolutions passed by the conferences of past years had been . treated so lightly. That having been their experience in the past, thoy shou,d devote their attention to one or two of '■the most important items on the prd*.-* fiapor.

After a desultory talk by way of proparation, Mr. George.moved: "That the Government be urged to amend during the present session the Education Act, 3.9U,. so that the finance provided for the payment of salaries' and working exjpenees should be increased at least in proportion to the rise in the cost of 'living since, 1914." In moving the resolution Mr. George said that they must include ail branches of education. Aftei till technical education was only on. branch. The Government would probably .say that the .session was too. short to deal with, tho matter, but that did not get over the fact that the grant ■was inadequate. They knew that' by the depreciation of the sovereign. The.grant should bo increased to such mv amount as would at least place the schools on the same basis as in 1914.

Mr. Park (Wanganuij supported ' the motion, and pointed out the disadvantages they suttered compared with tin-, civil servants' of ability. In regard to the teachers, of technical schools, salaries depended on the income of the schools, •which was invariably a fluctuating quantity. Since they (Wanganui) had passed the 350 mark they. had been- in a position to pay fairly adequate salaries, bnf they could not' put their teachers on a ecalo as secondary schools were able to do.

; It was pointed out by Dr. Hanson (Christciiurch) that the technical schools and colleges of the Dominion wero, *.■ often as not, in competition with tho secondary schools, and yet they wore not in receipt of the same capitation, a fact which, in his opinion, was being reflected on those coming into the tenoning staffs of technical schools. If thev were to have good teachers they must pay good salaries. 'Ho said that in Christchurch they had to call for an engineering instructor at ,£3OO, and though they had received five applications, none of them was a trained man that could be put in charge of tho department. ■ . ~

; Mr. lomkies instanced a case in which a youth loved the teaching profession to ' such a decree that he gave up ,£3 a week ■•'to co to'the school at £50 a y Ear, and .'.'even'now/at twenty years'of age, lie was -"'Only gettinir .£75. He. quoted tliis case Vu'.'ffiCa concrete instance of one who sacrisalarv considerations to follow tho ■■' '■ teaching profession. With' regard to the purchasing power of the sovereign, he had kept a very close watch on tho mattor, and was o£ opinion that the sove'Teitrn was worth much less than lis. at present. . The motion was carried. £3,000,000 Wanted. Mr. Georjre moved and Mr. Park seconded:—"That tho Government be informed that in the opinion of the conference, the first step in the' process of reconstruction should bo. to authorise a much lamer sum of money (eay, .£3,000,O00) for placing education in the Dominion upon a modern footing, among the reauirements most needed for technical . education being the erection and equipment of up-to-date buildings, including ; hostel-, for country students, the provision .of adeauato sites for such purposes; She provision of areas; for experimental farms, in connection . with agricultural courses: the training of teachers of technical subjects; and compulsory day-time continuation classes."

Mr. Parle said that he did not see why technical schools should bb placed on a different Diane to secondary schools with regard to hostels. They had two hostels, both inadequate arid unsatisfactory, one with thirtv-six boys in it, yet they were told bv the Minister that such cxpendi.iire was a matter of principle. If .£SOOO 'were wovided for a hostel in Wanganui, hostels would have, to be provided all over tho country. Oust because his school was called a technical high school —It could hist as well havo been called a Irish school—he understood the Government had postponed consideration of the question until it had a large amount to Eoend throughout the country. He did not think that was sound or right, particularly in the ense of o town where it had been proved that hostels were a real need. Ho thought that they should noint out to the Government that it was taking a wrong attitude.

Mr. Howell thought that the Government might move in instances where tho need of a hostol had been proved. Tho Government might ndvnnco tho rent in bucli cases. He felt strongly that in such nlnees where the need had been Droved the Government might very well assist.

Mr. Ouie pointed out tho disabilities thev were under in Palmerston North for lack of a hostel. Economy of Big Schools. Dr. Hanson pointed out that when a big strong technical school grow up it dispensed with the necessity of so many district high schools, and' so saved expense, and on that ground it was perlians expedient for the Government to vrovido hostels. In Southland ho had. established a hostel, and wns placed in the Dositon of having to take upon himself the financial responsibility. Speaking on tho subject of agricultural instruction, it seemed to him that there had been a remarkable oversight on the Dart of the Government in not acquiring band. Ho could not conceive that the Government expected local bodies or Drivate individuals to provide tho land for the agricultural course. In Auckland ho noticed somo thirty acres of land, but in his opinion tho best work could not be done except with an area of between sixty and ono hundred acres, for it was an essential point that the training must to a largo extent bo given under farming conditions. Mr. Newton pointed out that a local hodv was not permitted to givo lands for educational purposes. He hud discovered that, to his great astonishment, in tie Education Act. There was a way out—bv promoting legislation—but lie did think, that local bodies should bo in a position to allocate lands for educational purposes. Mr. Newton, in referring to tho hostel miestion, stated they had proved the need of the hostel, and they had also shown that it cmild ho carried on at a financial gain. He 'had to take tho financinl i-c----snrnsibilitv. wh'Vb wn» wnrv> in p-'»-eiple and tho profit made last year had been'his. and he thought he had earned it. Last year ho told the board that umW tiieV took over tho hostel ho would closb it up. and thoy, after sonw hesitation, took it over. Continuation Classes. Speaking of the problom of having to scrap bui.dings because of the lack of land, the chairman (Mr. George) said that the problem was an easy ono to solve. Continuation classes must como in. time.

They had been urging them since the conference of 1909, but in time- Parliament and the employers would be educated up to seeing the necessity of those classes. They must come, and thesn buildings could bo very well utilised for that purpose. Mr. George pointed out that u big .school with a well-paid staff and u, good hosK must pay, as with such a school they would bo able to tako the children from the country. Surely such a school would bo able to give tatter results than a little technical ccliool of, say, a hundred pupils in the country, where they could not possibly keep the staff or givo the course a bis city school couT.il. The motion was carried.

Or-i Control. On the motion of Mr. Park, seconded by Mr. Howell, it was decided; "That the Government bo informed that this conference approves of the principle of having primary, Becundary, and technical schools controlled bj one body elected by the ratepayers of the district," . Other resolutions pussed included the following:— "That except in remote country districts and except in cases where an approved standard of education has been reached, all boys and girls shad be compelled until the end of the year in whien they reach tho age of 18 years, to receivn instruction during working hours and for not less than eight hours per week and 35 weeks in the year at no.utinuation or technical classes."

"That in remote country districts, continuation and technical education • for boys and girls between 15 years and 1? years of age be provided at special centres for, say, a month or nix weeks-in each .year." "That in the opinion of this conference, no education, however much it mar bo concerned with literary or acadomio studies, is liberal If it fails to arouse tho interest and self-activities of the pupil; whereas an education that succeeds in this respect because it deals with mutters that-concern his daily life may b? made essentially liberal'.. An education that may enable the worker to find joy in his work is the fundamental neeo. of to-day, and to succeed n system of continuation, education must mako this its primary; aim." "That this conference submits that insufficient attention is being paid to the physique of our young persons, and that the .Department be urged to subsidise funds, raised by local authorities of education for providing properly-equipped gymnasia to the extent of not less than £2 per .£1 contributed; further, that such gymnasia should be considered essential in any scheme of continuation education."

"That the 'Minister of Education be asked to arrange for the payment of eapitation to technical high schools on the same,basis as to unendowed high schoo's." "That the Department be urged to adont uniform types of etationpry and school requisites, and to supply them at cost pvice to all schools, and, further, that the "School Journal" should bo BUjipliecl free, of cost t'o secondary schools." That capitation should not be lost to technical high schools in respect of pupils who havo been prevented from attending owing to reduced train cervices." . ' . '

"That the Education Department bo asked- to amend its regulations to permit teachers in training at technical colleges to attend lectures on the methods of class teaching lit training colleges." "That Dciwrtmeutal examinations ho held in New" Zealand for persons wishing to qualify for positions . as. woodwork, metalwork nnd domestic science instructors in manual training schools; such examinations to include test questions in the subjects of tho coutse which tho candidate wishes to qualify for and in methods of twiching."

"That this conference is of opinion that clause 4i of the regu'ations dated May 15, 1919, 'dealing with the course of study to be taken by compulsory students, is absolutely impracticable • r.nd unreasonable. That for directors to have regard to the wishes of 'both parents and employers, to the crafts and industries practised in the district (including agriculture and domestic arts), and in every case to' provide instruction in English, histoiy, and civics,-hygiene and fust aid, Kmi homo nursing in n period of four hours, a week is quite impossible."