EDUCATION

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1932, Page 6

EDUCATION

A PROPOSAL CRITICISED

CHRISTCHURCH, ’ August 29

The,necessity for concentrating, on the. fundamentals of education, and offering facilities to the youths :v ho’ are 'best able to take advantage *»f them was emphasised by Mr-; WiT Appleton, of Wellington. . He referred to .the'lrCcent wfatement by Professor Shelley do’the effect that the Government -should provide young .people to be kept at school until 18 years of age,, arid stah ed that h e disagreed with, tli© suggestion entirely. As .goon a,-, the 1 -tendency to rely on the Government for everything was removed, the better it would be for the country as a whole, he declared.

“Although an earnest attempt had boon made by the Government to reduee .education costs we are as yet only playing "with the subject,” said Mr Appieton. “We should get back to and concentrate on,, essentials and pay more attention .to the three R’s. There are hundreds of pupils at ary schools to-day .who are not qualified to use, the educational facilities offered to them,., and we-are‘trying to fit square pegs into round holes. ■ i believe in the principle of giving every hoy and girl every facility and every chance of education and in extendi,tc the principle, but there is no sense in giving a boy four years of secondary education when he cannot make use of the training offered. -• ’

SR LF-RELI A NOR NEEDED

“1 noticed some comment in the newspapers by Professor Shelley to the #ffeot that young people should be kept at school until the age of 1& year.?, and that it was the duty of the Government to provide for .ths. As a business man,. 1 disagree -with. that entirely. - In my .experience in New Zealand—and it has been an extensive, one—for business Or industrial' purposes, 1 b or 17 years -is Ihe right age to .start, 1 myself. - .started ®t years of age and received most , of -my. .education in the ) hool of hard knocks. If :a boy is going ,in for ,a profession I agree that he should be. kept at ischoo! until 20 years of but not otherwise. Ther e is .|oo much of a tendency in New Zealand to expect-the Government to do everything, with a result that the spirit of self-reliance has broken down. . :

EMPLOYMENT FOR BOYS

“For the last twelve month- I have been investigating the boy unemployment problem in Wellington, and I have paid special attention to getting boys on the land. Since January, the organisation with which i am connected has placed 190 boys oh farms in the/WeV linfetnjd difitrieL - - To-day, : there. ~is ' a wniiting list and .suitable boys - nr°‘ gradually filling the vacancies. But the ij *onh!ei. lies; in - the Grait : {rl, .’.training. Farmers want boys who know something .at any rate, about the work, and to fill tbir-v want- we have established the Peitrose farm camp at Wairarr-pi. Every boy who h°K qualified has been placed, and we, .intend to establish another camp shortly. I am quite, satisfied that the result will he a success.”