TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1926, Page 4

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

TEACHER'S ASSOC IAT lON. WELLINGTON, Alay 11. Air CL .1. Park, president of il.o. Technical School Teachers’ Association, in his presidential address to the conference of principals and teachers engaged in tho technical branch <u the Education Service, referred to tho report of Air Frank Talc on post-primary education in New Zealand. Air Park said that the most important reciMiiiueiidatioii made by Air Tate was that primary education, as such, should end with the completion of Sl.it. TV. Air Tale recommended that pupils prepared to undertake a full secondary course li r four years (or six years for those going on with University courses) should be admitted at once to postprimary schools. • Some pupils would not be prepared to undertake full secondary courses alter passing Std. IV., and for these Mr Tate recommended courses of a different nature from those in the secondary schools. Such course;-, should be provided in the Junior High Schools, in Junior Technical Schools, or in special schools for domestic arts. The problem of arranging the Junior High School system so that it would lit in with the existing educational system was the (kief problem to-day. Auckland experience showed that i lie Junior High School as a separate school had difficulty in articulating properly with the senior schools, secondary and technical. It seemed necessary that each senior school should have a junior school incorporated in it or attached to it, and controlled by the same hoard. If Junior High Schools were attached only to tho Senior High Schools, ami not to the Technical Schools, the day technical schools would, in time, cease to exist, and evening technical schools could hardly ho continued except by the: High Schools. In his opinion, the best method of j putting the system gradually into operation would be to permit each Secondary or Technical School to have a .Junior High or Junior Technical School attached to it. In Air Tate’s opinion, the weak spot in tho postprimary education ot the Dominion was that insufficient emphasis had boon laid upon the necessity of building up an efficient system of technical and industrial training on the pro-vocational courses of the post-primary schools. Air Park added that in his opinion, the secondary schools had many distinct advantages over the newer technical' schools, and the time whs opportune for n strong demand for equal opportunity for all schools, particularly

upon the necessity of building up an efficient system of technical and industrial training on the pro-vocational courses of the post-primary schools. Air Park added that in his opinion, the secondary schools had many distinct advantages over the newer technical'schools, and the time wus opportune for u strong demand for equal opportunity for all schools, particularly since Air Tate had clearly indicated that the chief weakness in the education system was the neglect of technical education proper.