TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 80, 30 December 1919, Page 3

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

RECONSTRUCTIVE WORK

CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS 1

Tho annual conference of the Technical School Teachers' Association commenced in tho Wellington Technical College yesterday morning. Tho following delegates were present:—Hiss JlacKay (Auckland). Mr. A. L. Moore (Now Plymouth),' Aliss M. E. Aherii, Miss Laurenson. Mr. Ellis (Wellington), Miss M. B liobertson. Mr. M.'Wifliaius (Wanganui), Mr. It. J. Thompson (Ashburton), Miss J. B. Wilson. Mrs. H. H. Milne (Dunedin), Mr. L. fi. Macfarlano (Invercnrgill). The m-esielent (.Mr. A. L. Moore), in his oncning address, stated that at no period in the historv; of tho British nation had there been a greater need to work. The reaction after over four years of war and stren'uous endeavour was unfortunately producing the opposite effect Wanes and the en-'- of living w?~e r?""t l>v loans and bounds side by side, and in sympathy with each other. When would the halt come, a.nd how far tile parenting power of the sovereign could be re--duced. were questions asked by the thoughtful? Hew could teachers, individually and as a body, help to stem this calamitous tendency? All teacher, and particularly technical teachers, ti[ this critical period, had a special am' narticular mission in that they must rodoublo their efforts to assist reronstnfetion and endeavour to inculcate the prfnoinles of economies and social service. First Stan in Reconstruction. "Reconstruction," ho went on to say, "was first talked of some eighteen montiis or two years ago, and has been glibly and constantly used ever since with little or no practical application, until it has become mero meaningless patter. The first step in wry true reconstruction policy is to lav a sure foundation, and no surer foundation can be laid than that of education, hi this, I refer particularly to technical education, because it is. indiseolubly "bound up with our industrial life. Moro money must bo spent on this branch, and more encouragement given hv tie Education Department lo launch i out. and .start any class that is needed, or likelv to be needed, to establish, encourage, and increase efficiency in our industries. The principals of onr technical schools ran be safely trusted to do ttis, because they are keen, far-seeing men, anxious onlv for tho commonweal. What aro wo doing, for instance, to train the coming generations in the arts and science of textile manufacturing? It is conceivable that, if wages have been raised 130 per cent, on pre-war-rates in Great Britain that wo shall be able to produce as chean or cheaper here as at Homo. Tho increased manufacture of woollen goods means that the wool would bo treated in Now Zealand, and thus save an enormous sum of money paid annually in freight, not on tho wool nlone>but on tho dirt and grease in tho wool which is sent Home. Wool-scouring then brings us'to tho question of treating the bynroducts of tho wool-scouring works which are at present running to waste to tho amount of thousands of pounds annually. Why not set up a Department of Oils and Fats in one of tho large centres? Into our woollen manufacture also comes tho question of hydro-electric cower.

"So the examples could be multiplied. We are essentially a country of primary industries, but tho fact must npt bo forgotten that for the country to prosper and forge ahead we must build up our secondary industries also!. The gospel of production must be reached by every teacher in the Dominion, until the idea, not tho empty lvord, is woven into the fibre of the rising generation. The Government must assist in production by providing school sites, buildings, and equipment: by encouraging research work by professors and teachers, and .• enterprise in labour-saving methods and de : vices by students, pupils, and workers. . Should Be No More Dolay. "The expenditure on technical education is ,£85,C00, our votal production is about .030,000,000. If technical education by- moro encouragemeut can increase the production only 1 per cent. (.0)0,000) it is obviously worth while to double or treble, the expenditure on technical education. Now that wo have the new : Parliament elected with a good working majority there should be no delay in tho vigorous prosecution of a reconstruction policy. There is any amount of data to work on in the excellent ipport of the Industries' Committee.

"The mention of tho word production immediately brings mo to tho second part of tho mission of tho teachers, and that is to include in tho curriculum of every secondary school at least tho elements of economics. 1. am not' concerned with the gjiiso in which you introduce it, so that it is introduced. It could bs included partly in your history and partly in your civics. I know of no moro interesting matter than tho industrial history of the past 100 years, the effect on the present mid the repetition o! some of its problems. Let "us give every boy and girl who lias a future vote u clear idea of their interdependence and responsibility to tho rest of the community. Lot thorn understand by explaining to them in simple 'angiinge Ibo iwineipiil laws that govern their every day life, economics in its simplest form. lam sure that if wo could only get the workers to .realise the laws governing wages, production, and cost of living, the clamoiir for the first would cease, a concentration take place on the second, and tho last would be solved. Social Service. "Tho last item I am going to deal with and perhaps tho most important is to inculcate into our children the spirit of social service. In a society constituted a.s we are we cannot: afford to ignore our neighbours' welfare,, and live for ourselves alone unless we isii to endanger tho whole social structure. All the school institutions may )jo (and ( eo far as I have seen are) used for fostering this spirit. We must make it grow and expand until ■ in every boy or girl of art ago to leave school it.will be the finest attribute of & citizen, and will bj the broad base of a social life in v/hich it will bo a pleasure to live."