SCHOOLS BREAK-UP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 166, 19 December 1914, Page 3

SCHOOLS BREAK-UP.

NEW PLY.UOUTH TECHNICAL ' COLLEGE. The annual prize-giving ceremony in connection with, the New Plymouth Technical College was held yesterday af-, tcrnoon in one of the College classrooms. ; Mr. 11. Trimble (chairman of the Education Board) presided, and there was a good attendance of ipupils and a large number of parents and others interested in tlhc College. The chairman, in iiiis opening remarks, said that it had been reported that the Taranaki Education .Board _\vas behind tile times. It conducted its business badly and deserved to 'be wiped out. Those were not the exact words, but that was the inference. The gentleman who told them tluit was the member for the district., who, iie supposed, had made a study of education and knew that the system they Were pursuing was the wrong one. That they were not quite so antedeluvian in their ; methods was evidenced by idle fact that i other districts were trying to follow their studies in the same direction and to copy their methods. Therefore, either the member was wrong or else others boards were much more antiquated. He would leave it to them to decide which was right. To the children, he could not say much more than he had said on previous occasions, viz., to work hard and try to get to the top, not, to be content with one or two years, but to try and get their parents to allow them to complete the full course of three years, so that they could eventually get belter positions. The expert and hard worker always got the be-i wages. To some, it mig'ht at first seem Iliat they were wasting time at the College when bhev might be earning money, | but when they got older they would appreciate the bcnelit. hi times of stress it was always the least valued that got out of employment first. The most efficient were retained. He -hoped fo sec tile time arrive when employers would themselves see the-advantage of sending their young employees to the school during the day. He wae certain that if they did, the young people would i gain knowledge that would make them move valuable in their ihusiness. Referring to the establishment of the agricultural course at the College, those intending to go in for farming must be fitted with a better knowedg'e of agriculture. Tiiev must not follow in the old rut. Agriculture, was a science as much as auv of the other professions were. It hail to be learnt and worked up to, and tlie man who got all out of the land that there was in it was

the man -who was going to succwd. „ Tin; Rev. A. B. Ompju'll referred to i ! he value of technical education. It was not only well to know the theoretical side, but practice in handicraft and trade was' also an essential. lie considered the establishment of ■ the agricultural course a step in the right: direction. Taranaki was cssentiallv an agricultural and pastoral district, and they must pay attention to this subject if they wished to hold oheir own. Me was gratified at the increasing interest that was MOW, taken in technical education, and trust- j ed that (his would «til further advane,; in the fut urc, because if the nation were. ' to become, strong the practical _ work i must advance side by side witiii the theoretic. "Mr. 'O. H. Maunder also gave a snort address. Mr. F. (r. Jackson, chairman ol the Advisory Board, appreciated the position that ihe College had attained. The ' improvement was very marked. The Board fullv recognised the good work done by the director and staff. The people of the town bad been slow in viking uip, but they now realised the importance of the College, wbiciii would now go ahead by leaps and bounds. The chairman then presented the certificates, particulars of which we ara obliged to hold over until next issue, rwHiw with the director's