EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 24 May 1917, Page 6

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

The whole question of the continuation of the education beyond the ordinary primary school age was brought before the Technical College managers at Dunedin in a long letter from the Minister of Education, says the Otago Daily Times. The Minister submitted tentative draft regulations for the extension of industrial education to pupils 14 years of age who had not passed the Sixth Standard, who had not left school for more than six months, and who were recommended by an inspector Such pupils were to be granted free education for oiie year on certain specified conditions, and if they proved satisfactory, this might be extended to a second and even a third year.

Mr. G. M. Thomson said he thought this was a part of a scheme that should be made much wider. Compulsory education should be continued up to say, .16 years. The time was coming when the community would have to face the whole problem of continuation education. He suggested that a small committee or the director could report. Dr. Colquhoun. expressed the opinion that we were coming to continuation schools. This proposal was merely an instalment.

Mr. Marshal, director of the college stated that similar provision was already made, but it could only be brought into force by the action of school committees. It was pointed out that no one school committee would take advantage of this and compel expupils to continue their education unless all the school committees agreed to do so.

A committee consisting of the director, the chairman (Mr. T. Scott), and Mr. G. M. Thomson, was set up to bring up a report at next meeting.