NEW TECHNICAL BLOCK

Southland Times, Issue 24237, 21 September 1940, Page 6

NEW TECHNICAL BLOCK

GORE HIGH SCHOOL’S BUILDING OFFICIAL OPENING BY MINISTER The ■ advancement of technical education in New Zealand during the last 20 years was referred to by the Minister of- Education (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) when speaking at the official opening of the new technical block of the Gore High School yesterday. There was a big attendance at the function and the chairman of the Gore High School Board of Governors (Mr E. C. Smith) presided. An apology was received from the Mayor of Gore (Mr A. T. Newman), who was unable to be present. A welcome was extended to the Minister by Mr Smith, who said that they had been waiting on the new technical block for some years. Mr Mason thanked those present for the kind wlecome and apologized for the absence of 2nd Lieutenant T. L. Macdonald, the member for the district, who had returned to camp on Thursday and was unable to be present.

Mr Mason gave an outline of the advancement of technical education in New Zealand and said that it was not until 1895 that legislation making comprehensive provision for technical education was first passed in New Zealand.

SOUTH ISLAND WAS PIONEER “It seems that the South Island was the pioneer in the establishment of technical education,” Mr Mason said, “but its early efforts were soon followed by similar ones in the North Island, notably at Auckland and at Wellington, where a school of design was established. This was more particularly to arrange for the training of teachers in drawing and for the teaching of industrial design. The Education Act of 1914 set the foundations of technical education in New Zealand on a sure footing and between that date and 1920 considerable advances were made, particularly in the direction of full-time day training of a pre-vocational nature. It was in this period that the technical high schools were established in Wellington and Christchurch.” Mr Mason said that towards the end of 1919 the first Superintendent of Technical Education, Mr W. S. La Trobe, was appointed, and under his administration technical education advanced rapidly in the esteem in which it was held in the community. “What is the reason for the popularit of the technical high school and what are the distinguishing features of such a school?” asked Mr Mason. “They are, ir. the main, schools in which a preparation for life for all classes in the community are provided upon as realistic a basis as possible. It is interesting to note that only two years ago no exactly similar type of school was to be found in any part of the world. In 1938, however, a committee was set up by the British Government to investigate secondary education. It produced a report which recommended the establishment of technical high schools in Britain, almost exactly the same type we have been operating so successfully in New Zealand for the last 20 years or so. REASON FOR NEW BLOCK “The Gore High School was perhaps unfortunate in being established before this more liberal conception of postprimary education was in public favour,” Mr Mason said. “During its life it has served the needs of the community well, so far as its resources have enabled it to do so, but in recent years it has been realized that a full education cannot be given by the teaching of the humanities alone, important as these are, even if supplemented by science work in the well-equipped laboratory. That is the reason then for the erection of this technical block as an addition to the educational facilities provided by the Gore High School. Many other high schools and grammar schools have felt a need for the broadening of their curricula, and happy results have followed when it has been found possible to do this by the establishment of technical and practical courses following the erection of special rooms and equipment for the purpose.” Mr Mason said that one great advantage that the school would reap from the new provision for practical teaching would be the fact that it would be possible to appoint full-time teachers to essential practical subjects to take classes both in the day and in the evening, whereas previously it had only been possible to appoint part-time teachers. The appointment of full-time responsible teachers was a step of the greatest importance.

The rector of the school, Mr E. H. W. Rowntree congratulated the Government on choosing a man of Mr Mason’s ability for Minister of Education. He said he was pleased that the technical block had been completed as previously there had not been a technical school between Dunedin and Invercargill. Pupils wishing to take a technical course had had to travel 40 miles to Invercargill in a slow train. He had been teaching for 30 years in various parts of New Zealand and the present Gore High School was the worst building he had yet taught in. The Minister then officially declared the new block open for use, and the building was inspected by all present.