TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 348, 8 May 1928, Page 13

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS TECH. BOARD ADVOCATED Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. In his presidential address at the opening of the annual conference of the New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association, Mr. A. McFadyen said that secondary schools were now introducing manual work into their courses, recognising that it arouses the pupils ’interest and has educational value equally with other subjects of the curriculum. “The weak spot in our educational system has been that *lie bulk of the youth in schools have ai l been put through the same course without taking account of the future needs of *lie individual,” said Mr. McFadyean. “Many of the youth of the present dav. had their preparatoiy education and training been different, might havebeen in a position to render valuable service in employment where at present the supply is insufficient. “It is to be hoped that the committee which has been considering the revision of the primarv school syllabus has made recommendations which will counteract this evil of uniformity.” The speaker expressed his firm belief that in this matter, as in others of equal importance, there was need for a Technical Schools Bo;ird. In 1926 the Minister of Education, wl.ei referring to the establishment of such a board, considered that it would marla step forward in the development of technical education.

An effort should be made to bung the leaders of industry into closer contact with education. Inquiry us to whether it was not desirable to formulate some scheme for bringing into technical schools all those youth?- who are past primary sch*»ol age and who have not yet found full-time eniplovment.