HIGHER EDUCATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 450, 23 March 1912, Page 5

HIGHER EDUCATION.

TECHNICAL AND HIGH SCHOOL

FOR TE KUITI DISTRICT

Among the many matters rendered necessary by the great spread of settlement in the King Country is the establishment of Technical and High Schools in order to give our young people equal advantage with the youth of other and older districts. It is gratifying to learn that the members of the Te Kuiti School Comimttee are thoroughly alive to the position, and are now taking the necessary preliminary steps with a view to having a Technical and High School established at Te Kuiti. An advertisement appears in another column requesting those wiiilng to attend the school to furnish their names to the secretary of the committeg. .There should be no misconception as to what this means. The sphere of influence of the school is not confined to the town and suburbs. The school will serve a wide area, including the whole of the back district, and a considerable distance both up and down the raliway line. It is therefore necessary for those parents throughout the whole district who are anxious to grant their children the advantages of higher education to communicate with the committee on the matter. All scholars who have obtained proficiency certificates are admitted free to the High School, while those who have passed the fifth standard are charged a nominal fee.

The classical side of such a school lies in the preparation of candidates for the civil service and matriculation examinations, thus carrying on the ordinary school course to a considerably higher standard. However, in such a centre as Te Kuiti agricultural science, combined with instruction in dairying work would be a strong feature of the institution. These branches would be thoroughly equipped, and in charge of experience'd masters. A similar school has been established at Stratford for a number of years, and is recognised as one of the finest and most up-to-date institutions in the Dominion. As the centre of technical instruction the institution would be invaluable for those ■who had left school before obtainng their proficiency certificate, as well as for those scholars who wished to continue their studies, and obtain a complete commercial education. Night, classes would be formed, and the advantages of the school would he open to all. Classes on similar lines to those mentioned have already been estabilshed at centres such as Waihi, Thames and Whangarei, and are highly successful. It may be mentioned that in all these Technical Schools special attention is paid to the instruction of girls. Subjects such as dressmaking, cookery, laundry work, and domestic science generally are taught. The Department maintains a staff of specially selected itinerary teachers who visit the different centres on certain days for the purpose of giving instruction in certain sub jerts. If such a school was established at Te Kuiti scholars from the out districts would be drafted to Te Kuiti on suitable days in take cart in the calsses. The chief drawback at present to the project lies in the fact that children in the out districts would find it difficult to take advantage of the school in consequence of the distance at which the outlying schools are situated from the centre. However, in the meantime those who could take advantage of the railway would be granted free carriage in the trains and the number thus served would be constantly increasing.