SOLDIERS’ TRAINING.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 6 August 1919, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ TRAINING.

WORK AMONO HOSPITAL PATIENTS. NEARLY ONE THOUSAND PUPILS. 4 : ___ The Educational and Vocational Training Branch of the Defence Department has now reached a stage at which classes have been organised in nearly all the hospitals where soldiers are treated, and a number of soldier out-patients are getting the benefit of this scheme, thus improving their chances of making headway in civil occupations. It is estimated that there are over a thousand soldiers attending classes. *

The attitude of the soldiers to the Educational and Vocational scheme was at first suspicious, if not actually hostile. They resented the idea of compulsory education, though as a matter of fact the only element of compulsion which has been introduced into the system is where a man will be directly improved in health as a resoit of training recommended by his medical officer. Some difficulty was experienced in trying to rouse the patients uut of the inertness which characterises hospital life. Many of them apparently look little interest in their future. But the vocation officers who are sent into the hospitals are returned soldiers who are quite well able to understand the men’s outlook, and to overcomo their indifference. The latest reports show that these early difficulties are disappearing; how there is very little opposition to the scheme, and the sol= (tiers realise that the vocation officers arc anxious to help them. Though some classes fail, others are immediately started—there is no hard and fast syllabus to be applied uniformly in all districts—and as a result of experience of the requirements of the men there is an increasing number of students, and an extremely wide variety in the classes throughout the Dominion. No fewer than fifty-three subjects aro taught altogether, the most popular subjects being indicated by the following details of the number of pupils on the instruction rolls on the first July. The numbers have no doubt increased since that time:—

Pupils. Motor engineering 129 Leather work 129 Basket work 96 Wool classing 79 Book-keeping' 76 Carpentry 63 Embroidery 62 Economics 49 Splintmaking 43 Beekeeping 31 Corl&ercial subjects 26 Boot repairing 23 Poultry farming 23 Loco- and tractor driving .. 21 A number of special subjects are taken by individual soldiers in different centres. They aro mainly out-patients who wish to “brush up” their knowledge, or gain some information which will be of value to them in their civil vocations. Assistant vocation officers have reccatly been appointed so that these out patients may bo systematically interviewed and helped. It has been found that the best results are obtained at the sanatoria, where the patients are nearly recovered, and where they stay for some months. When they are sent tola hospital for operative treatment they arc really invalids,, and it is useless to expect them to fake up courses which cover a considerable time. Occupational classes are the first steps towards bringing back to active effort. Iu many cases the .exercises for special muscles have a valuable curative effect. Leather work, basket making, woodcarving, spinning and weaving, and embroidery (for cot cases) are taught. The classes are well attended, and as a rule are popular. Basketmaking docs not now attract so large a number of patients as leather work. It is found that the splintmaking, though offering little in the way of future openings for soldiers, enables them to get a good deal of useful

training -in the handling of iron and leather tools which will be valuable to them in almost any trade they may take up after discharge. Carpentry and cabinctmaking are not as popular as might be expected. As curative agents they arc useful to give training to special muscles, and to get men gradually accustomed to the resumption of bodily effort. A certain amount of training in engineering is given in the splint shops at the hospitals. At Rotorua there is a special vocational training in electrical engineering, but the only form of engineering which is really popular is motor engineering. There is a demand for this class of instruction all over the Dominion, and everywhere classes have been successful.

Boot repairing classes have been established at Rotorua, Napier, Miramar and Hanmcr. They aro generally successful, though not largely attended. A good deal of useful work is don'c in repairing the boots of hospital patients. This is a trade which can be learned in a short time, and fair wages arc assured after a few months’ instructional work. There is less interest ‘taken in farming lectures than might be expected in an agricultural • country, though wool-classing has been a popular subject in some centres. At Haunter, where an instructional farm is attached to the hospital, a farm manager has been appointed who is an enthusiastic instructor, and it is expected that in the spring, and summer a good general agricultural education will be given. Farming will also be taught at the farm attached to the new consumptive hospital at Waipukurau. It was expected at the initiation of the scheme that technical schools would provide' suitable training for soldiers, ! but experience has brought to light many difficulties. The courses there afe too long, and are not intensive; they are held at inconvenient hours for soldiers, and are. often crowded with youths and girls. But, the chief difficulty is that the soldiers arc not eager for vocational instruction, aud require not a little persuasion before they will attend the classes at all. The solution has been found in special classes independent of the technical schools. The vocation officer at Christchurch reports on this point: “The special soldiers’ classes are in all cases successful, and it is recognised that where the right kind of instruction the soldiers want is provided, good attendance can always be obtained.’’ It should be added, however, that Dunedin Technical School is an exception, as over sixty soldiers are attending classes there. It will be seen from this review of the position that, the Educational and Vocational Training Branch has constantly modified its programme to meet the needs of the men, and that the facilities it provides are now generally utilised to the advantage of the soldier patients in New Zealand.