SCHOOL AND WORE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1933, Page 6

SCHOOL AND WORE

BOY UNEMPLOYMENT

An informal conference upon juvenile unemployment, attended by Messrs. W. A. Armour, E. H. Dowsett, L. Greenberg, J. 11. Howell, T. A. Hunter, M. G. C: JlcCaul, K. G. Ridling,.W. Simm, and J. H. Whittaker, has considered the expressed opinion of Messrs. G. D. Dick, T. Forsyth, J.. Pearce Luke, and W. G. Matheson, and has reported in effect to the boy unemployment committee.

Adequate expenditure to meet the serious position is urged, but tiie view that tiie responsibility is purely, that of local organisation and individual citizens, and not that of the State, is opposed, nor is it accepted that rural settlement to prevent the drift to the towns would be an eutirely satisfactory solution.

The report recommends ..' raising the school-leaving age to 15,-and the adoption of the principle of half-time work'and half-time pay for all under 16: in industries adapted to this form "of organisation. It trill lie necessary to .legislate so that "no school" will, mean "no work," and it is hoped that in the case of rural occupations means will be found to provide facilities for education. The modification of legislation in order to encourage employers to engage more youths is advocated. At present employers-are forced to pay in accordance with age rather than skill, and must pay by the week even if the boys work for only part, of a week. Mr. J. H. Hqwell, supporting the .halftime, half-pay proposition, asks why £ye persons should work for nothing one day a week to keep another idle for-five days, and stresses the advantage of all working full time at the same wage. The halftime the boy spent while not;, at work would be spent in school, where the courses must be specially adapted to the .position. Legislation should .be necessary making it. illegal to employ any boy .or girl under! 18 for more than half-time in certain districts, and making it a condition of em-j ployment that the boys and girts should.! attend school for ten hours weekly.. lie estimates the cost as follows, if applied j to boys in the larger cities :t-AII under 16 not employed more than: half-time and spending ten hours weekly •iv School, £3,5,000; till under 15 at school, none between 13 and 10 employed for more than half-time with ten hours in echool, £SO,OOO. This is approximately the same as the cost, of two training colleges*. If Rirls were included the cost would be nearly doubled, ~ . . '