HALF-TIME SYSTEM FOR BOYS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 4, 30 September 1920, Page 4

HALF-TIME SYSTEM FOR BOYS

——* . In his report to the Technical Education Board last night tho director oi tlie Technical College referred to 'the work dono at tho technical education conference recently held in Wellington, and tho announcement then made by tho Ministor of Education that he hoped that within 18 months Parliament would •have raised the school ago to 15. Mr. Howell went 011 to say: "To those who are concerned in tho work of education, it mudt have been a gravo disappointment to iind oil tho following day that tho' Public Service Commissioner had decided to establish tho half-time system in Wellington for boys of fourteen. When England has just abandoned the half-time system that has been in force in some of tho industrial districts for children under ,tlio age of fourteen and is about to raise the school leaving ago still' further, it is ■disquieting to find that it is to bo adopted here under Government auspice.' for boys just alxive that ago. It is, of courso, recognised that thoro is a shortage of boy applicants for Public Service appointments, but tliero is a similar shortage of boy applicants for teaching appointments, and tho latter shortage-can only be accentuated by this policy. It must result in inducing boys to leave school oarlier than they would otherwise do, and if 6chool life is as valuable a training as wo profess it to be, this is,surely not in the bast interests of tho country."