NEW TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 128, 28 February 1928, Page 3

NEW TECHNICAL COLLEGE

>. DEMAND IN EXCESS OF ACCOMMODATION REMARKABLE GROWTH OF CLASSES MORE ROOM URGENTLY NEEDED Although the new Technical College ■it Mt. Cook has only been opened about trair years, the accommodation this year is already greatly overtaxed, and the college understaffed, and that despite the tact that 'he old technical school is also fully used. The need for increased accommodation was stressed at the meeting of the Technical College Board of Governors last night. The director reported that the enrolment in the Technical High School on February It was 7'.11, as compared with C5O last vear, an increase of .1I I. They were made up as follow: —Engineering 2(17 (198), building 113 (122), commercial (II bovs (93), 25.8 girls (120), art 17 boys (Id), 18 girls (11), home science of/ ((>0;.

This remarkable increase, said the director, was sufficient indication that the advantages which the Technical High School offered to those who proposed to follow either an industrial or commercial calling were becoming better known and appreciated not only in Wellington, but in the surrounding district, and the urgent question arose as to what was to' be done to meet the. needs of the situation. The kind of training offered bv the college was what was needed by the great majority of our boys and girls. They could not, however, give students adequate technical education without more rooms and more equipment. More Staff Necessary. Under the Department’s stalling scale they were entitled to five additional teachers, but it was of no use hating extra teachers without rooms for them to teach in. At present, making fullest use of all space available at both new and old colleges, classes could not be divided so as to utilise the services of that number’of teachers. For the proper working of the school, four additional rooms, including a senior laboratory for mechanics and physics, were necessary. At present one-third of this work had to be taken in other class-rooms, where practical work was impossible. Extending School Life. It might be said, continued the director, that the country could not afford the expenditure and that the bulk of those now receiving further education should be at work. In the first place, however, there was no demand for such a large bodv of young labour, and if thrown on to the Jebottr market they would remain idle and greatly deteriorate—a costly business for the country ; and further, informed opinion was unanimously on the side of prolonged school life beyond 14 in the interest both of the individual and of the State. If parents were prepared to shoulder the burden of maintenance and books it was surely for the State to face that of accommodation.

The Building Committee reported that it had resolved to ask the Minister to receive an informal deputation to place the matter before him. Pressure on Department.

The chairman (Mr. W. 11. Bennett) said he had been in touch with the Minister, who was obtaining a report front the Director of Education and the Director of Technical Education. The position was most acute. Not only was the new building full to its utmost capacity, but the old building was also full, and the director and staff were at their wits’ end to accommodate pupils. The demand for accommodation for technical education in Wellington at the present time was simply enormous, and it pointed in one direction, that the Department should be pressed for Ute couinletion of the whole of the college. liven when it was completed, he did not know if they would have enough accommodation. While it was verv'gratifying to see that people were realising the' importance of technical education as against other forms of education, it was useless if they could not give them accommodation. They w<-iild have to press until they could get the accommodation which would enable them to give technical education its proper place. Mr. T. Forsyth, M.P., expressed the view that the demand for commercial assistance was being overdone, and parents should be advised in that direction.

Air. If. Sadd said he thought the big increase in the commercial classes was due to the superior training at the Technical College, and that girls preferred Io attend here for commercial training. Mr. Forsyth attributed the increase to the ability of the director and the manner in which he had conducted the college, and so gained the confidence of the public. On the motion of the chairman, the board expressed appreciation of the work of the director and staff generally, the results being shown in tTie examinations and by the numbers attending the classes.