PROPOSED HOSTEL FOR STUDENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1917, Page 3

PROPOSED HOSTEL FOR STUDENTS.

SUGGESTED- BY CHAIRMAN OF EDUCATION BOaRD. The chairman of the Taranaki Education Board at yesterday's meeting submitted the following progressive proposal in the interest of country students : Hostel.—This is a matter that must engage the attention of the Board in the near future. During the last two years the college has made very fine progress and we can with confidence look forward to it taking in a foremost , position with other similar institutions in the Dominion. The children from , country centres are, however, placed at - a disadvantage on account of suitable ! accommodation under the college staff's 1 control not being available. Many par--1 ents in the country districts are desirous of sending their children into New Plymouth for technical training, but ; through the absence of such an institu- ■ tion as a hostel, those children are de- ? barred from obtaining the benefits to be 1 derived from technical education. The result is, drift away either into : employment or other institutions where 1 the training is not suited to their particular cases. A move might be made in a small way at the outset. It would probably entail a direct loss against the hostel for the first year or two, but the extra capitation earned to the college by an increased number of scholars would more than recoup the loss. I am confident such an institution would prove an investment of incalculable value to the country children of this - province. Our young people entering t employment to-day are -not taught trades, they simply pick tliein up as « best they can. <lt is therefore our duty - to help in every way those upon whose f> ability and skill the future industrial well-being of the nation depends. The report was adopted, i- 111 moving that the report be received, e the chairman said that the matter 0, f the hostel for the Technical College f deserved every consideration. If the e Board was going to make a success of i the college, there was no doubt something in the direction indicated should e be done. There were a great number of ; people anxious to send their children ' to New Plymouth, but they objected - strongly, for various reasons, to send V children daily to town by railway, t These people knew of 110 place in towu 1 where the children could be accommodated and be kept under proper control. ' There were 174 children attending the • school, and of these 93 came from the 1 country. This showed that the College J ivas more popular in the country than in fhc town. People seemed to realise the advantage of "technical education, and he was quite convinced that if housing accommodation were provided } New Plymouth, there would be a big increase in the College attendance. Mr I Masters thought it would be a step in the right direction if the Board consid- [ ered the matter and find out if the ' scheme was a workable one. Mr C. A. Wilkinson approved of the ' idea, and said he had the greatest ob- ; jeetion to children travelling on the | trains in numbers. They were inclined j to get out of hand. Mr S. G. Smith supported the scheme and observed that the children from the country were at a distinct disadvantage in regard to higher education. He felt 1 that if a hostel were established these t children would be helped to a consider- - able extent. ; The report was referred to Mssres ; Trimble and Dixon, the manual and B technical committee, for further considF oration.