TRAINING COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 137, 6 December 1929, Page 7

TRAINING COLLEGE

THE YEAR ENDED

A CLOSING CEREMONY

The closing ceremony for 1929 was fceld at the Teachers' Training College, yesterday aftenioon. Mr. T. jforsyth (chairman of the Education Board) presided over the gathering, and read a telegram from the Old Students' Association, sendijig heartiest good wishes to the outgoing students for success in their future-work. Apologies -were received froea Sir John Luke, Mr. A. C. Blake, and Mr. G. L. Stewart. No apologies, remarked the chairman, had bor eceived from departmental pilicers, nor was 'here a representative of the Department present. . Mr. Forsyth urged all thasa who were leaving this year to remember the college and its traditions, for it had its traditions—many of its scholars had distinguished themselves, iji all parts of the Empire, and in many spheres. They would not, in tho positions to which they went, find the same standard of equipment with whieiii they had practised and demonstrated at the college, but he hoped that they would at all times give an excellent account of themselves as ex-students of the Wellington Training College. To those continuing at the college he hoped that having done well in the first year, they would do still better in the second. As usual, the college had been > extremely fortunate this year in its officers, and the members of tho staff had done their best for all of them. It was up to the students in their future work to prove that their effort had not been lost. He believed they had done an excellent year's work, and he wished them all the compliments of the season and a pleasant vacation. OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY. The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) after congratulating the students an the work done during the year, said he had some trepidation in facing an audience of 240 prospective teachers. The principal had informed him tiiat not only had the students carried out their ."work at the college, but 60 per cent, of them had attended lectures at Victoria College. He had heard, too, that 80 per cent, of them had their homes outside Wellington. "I hope that you have found Wellington a suitable second home, and that the people here have been kind to you. If they haven't just let me know," said Mr. Troup, amid laughter. The problem of education had no beginning and no end; it "was always developing, but nevar fully developed. There was a great difference between training and teaching, and they must be trainers as well as teachers. Teaching might be aaid to be the giving of instruction; training was teaching plus something else; it was a combination of teaching and practice. "If New Zealand is to Toe endowed in future with a characteristic national spirit it will be largely because of the work and spirit of the teachers who are in our daily schools," said Mr. Troup. Theirs was a igreat opportunity, but opportunity ahyays carried with it a great responsibility. The Mayor urged the students when they went into the schools to take an interest in civics, and impress upon their scholars a pride of place and a pride of school.

The students' choir, under Mr. Jenner, sang several songs in. delightful manner, one, a Hebridean parting song, being particularly effective. Among those present were Meesrs. C. H. Nicholls, J. J. Clark, and A. W. Hutchings (Education Board), and Dr. Ada Paterson.