JUVENILE PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 633, 9 April 1929, Page 16

JUVENILE PROBLEMS

EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY’S REPORT NEED FOR CO-OPERATION The report to be presented at the first annual meeting of the Auckland Educational Society on April 22 states that the financial members of the society during the year totalled 114. The society owes its origin to a conference convened at the suggestion of tho late Mr. H. P. Caughey and others late in 1927 of representatives of business, industry and education, with a view to endeavouring to secure a closer co-ordination between the education of young people and the needs of their later life. Various conferences that ensued made it clear that much good could be achieved by setting up a permanent organisation to deal with this and allied problems. The annual report states that during the year addresses were delivered by Drs Belshaw and Fitt, Messrs. Bloodwortb, Clark, Cocker. Garry, Mahon and Seaman, and the society was indebted to those gentlemen for their services in that connection. Interesting discussions ensued but it was regretted that attendances had not been larger. It was contemplated, how.that the main work of the society should be conducted bv means of a number of committees acting under a co-ordinating committee and dealineach with a different aspect of the woblem of the maturing and training of the citizen. It was thought that in this way the society would prove a valuable means ot educating its own members as well as preparing the ground for future investigations of a more intensive character. It was regretted, however, that for various reasons a number of these committees had not functioned as fully as might have been; nevertheless one committee in particular did --’liable work in connection with the passage of the Mental Defectives Bill through the use. Other matters considered bv committees included open-air schools and publicity of proceedings in the courts. The attention of the society had in fact centered largely round the placing of young people leaving school, and tho society was indebted to Mr. F. A. Garry in particular for his efforts to bring this problem to the notice of the public and especially through the valuable address delivered by him to a meeting of the Auckland Rotary Club. JUVENILE EMPLOYMENT In conjunction with representatives of other bodies, representatives of the society met the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, early in 1929 and advocated the setting up of machinery to facilitate the placing of young | people in suitable employment and the securing by employers of the type of employee best suited to their requirements. The question of relaxing the present rigorous restrictions on the numbers of apprentices was also ventilated. The Minister gave the deputation a very sympathetic hearing, but indicated that, in his opinion, the main problem arose rather- from the fact that the number of positions available ; was not equal to the number of people offering: and that it was the intention J of the Government to cope with this j problem mainly through a vigorous j land settlement policy. The society regrets to have to record j the death of one of its vice-presidents, ; Mr. H. P. Caughey. on whose initiative I the original conference which gave rise j to the society was called in 1927.