EDUCATIONAL

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1923, Page 4

EDUCATIONAL

LEARNING A TRADE. [by TKI.KOKAIMI —I’Kll lUIKS.S ASSOCIATION.] AYF.I.I.INCTON. May 17. The difficulty of adopting course- ill technical school.- to the proposals lor training apprentices contained in the Apprentices' Rill was referred to by the Dircctoi of Education (MrC'nughleyl before the technical education conference io-day. The main points of the difficulty were in connection with technical scltnol attendance and part time instruction. ('nnsideraiicii. lie -aid. might very well he given to trying out apprentices in what might he called pro-vocational work, with the object t f determining what course a hoy was best cut out for. School course- might he over’haute 1. -o s'- to

provide a wcll-thouglit-oui plan o! handcraft v.ork. « hereby a hey could lie prepared in three year- lor any 1 1 title* or occupation. The Education Department would look into the matter and see if it could adopt coin-es < f technical -chords <ii trade subjects to that etui, and provide tor a full-time day period for handcraft work in such a way that there would he no overlapping. DISCUSSED RY CONFERENCE. W FLhINGTON, May 18. The daytime training of apprentices ami other young v. inkers v. as di-cu-sed by the Technical Education (Tml'civm.v. this morning. Tae scilicet was raised apron;- to prcpcsalcouta ined in the Apprentices Rillhetli tiie 1 'aimer--ton North and Wellington Technical education I alius, having urged, that t !; e Conference should consider llv effect <f the -mg-gc-tions in the Rill. Mi Raitridge (WVllingtonl moved: "I lutt this con. fereir. e coii-idcr- that the Ici hiiieal training of appro lUicc- in mir -elm-1.-.should he taken outside working lni:a-." He -aid that it wa- | rt.po-od ill the Rill being prepared to place gtvtfr restrict intis upon employers, making it still more difficult lor them to lake apprentices. It w..s proposed to take le.y- away from their work for tv.; half day- a week. Thai would detract from their efficiency in the r-e of tools. Educationist- agreed that a l;oy could he taught to 11-e tools, host in tig. fa; lory itself. The hoys outside instruction ■ uctild he given at

nig'il in the same way a.. 11 • • i:n: vfi'siry students received their c I‘i• - :ili;• sl. Air Ainiivv..- (Clu isle-uu eh i -ec ir ! - cil tin- niolicn lii’ii forma. '! 1 Kcfhy (Mu-tortmi) siiil that (lie lurn'eni U-ri-(|_'ncv uns in reduce tin’ li!111 r- «>l labour ami 111- dill lioi 1 1 1 in!c buy .-liculd li" expected i-I iim -no Ids tniiniiifr outsido working hums. Mr AL-i-shal! (Dunedin) maintained l-hat the mily way ol cducal ing boys was tn give them, alternately, practice and Bheoi-y. Tire employers were looking nl ilie problem too much from Hie piinl of view of low- many hours tlu-v would l-se tbrough daylight in-

struction of the apprentices. Air Afai'slniJl nuiveil mi oiiiendnn-nt that the Technical s -bool authorities do nut pretend to teach a trade: in fart they assert it i> impossible to do mi under the present conditions, hut is strongly of opinion that provision should he made for day continuation of education in the early year's ,f appieii tieesliip. Air Steele (Dunedin') seconded the amendment.

UK At ITS APPROVED. AYETd.IXGTOX, May IS. At the New Zealand Educational Institute, a Xelson remit was adoplctl that the Education Department he a-k----ci! to follow the example of the J.ondon Hoard of Education, and the Education Department of .Scotland and other British authorities, hy satu-lioning experiments ill teaching and reading with spelling advocated hy the Simplified Spelling Society of London.

A remit from Southland was carried that the Department he requested to publish in hook form a school music course, designed to teach pupils to sing from old notation, and tha’t the course he published in grades, and that a supply sufficient to provide each pupil with a copy on loan he sent to each school. Remits dealing with the syllabus and examinations, including one disapproving of special attention being given to scholarship candidates, out of prescribed school hours, either hy head teachers or assistants, were also adopted. The annual report recorded a membership at the end of the year of -173 d. an increase of -110. The Provident Fund stood at C‘2,017, and grants amounting to £TS had been made. The Legal Assistance Fund amounted to £703 10s. Tlie drain on the fund had been very heavy during the year, fifteen eases having been referred to solicitors for opinion or action.