TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1917, Page 6

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT. Tli director of the Technical College, .Mr. A. Cray, reported as follows to the meeting of the Taranaki Education board yesterday:— Nfew Plymouth.— Now' Plymouth the classes already reported have been carried 011 as usual. The numbers in the different classes are as follows, the numbers previously reported being given in parentheses:—Day classes: Commercial, !)3 {'J-V); engineering. 4G (4.5), domestic, 7 (8); arts and science, IS (IS); agriculture, 0 (9). Night classes: 'Book-keeping (sen.), 3 (2); shorthard (sen.), 9 (4); book-keeping (jun.)., 33 ("23); shorthand (jun.), 28 (22); commercial correspondence, 5 (2); dressmak ing (sen.), 5 (6); dressmaking (jun.), 16 (R); cookery (jun.), 12 (8); English and arithmetic, 35 ( 22) ; electrical engineering, 17; mechanical drawing, 15; steam, gas and oil, 7; motor car engineering, 22 (11); workshop practice, 19 (7).

The work' was thrown considerably out of gejjr by the curtailment of the railway service, but the inconvenience was .partially overcome by working oil Saturdays. In many instances it uvas impossible for students to attend 011 Saturdays, and in other cases parents appeared to be absolutely careless as to whether their children attended or not. One of the most serious features of the present day conditions is the apathy of a section of the parents with regard to the training of their children. The present train service still leaves much to be de'sired. The morning train arrives at the same hour as formerly, while the afternoon trains leaves forty minutes earlier. As there has been considerable diflieulty in securing the services of, a suitable assistant in the commercial department', Mr. Duff, a former instructor, kindly consented to take the evening classes 'in shorthand and typewriting. Miss O'Rorke has been temporarily appointed. With regard to classes unavoidably missed through the alteration in the railway service I would suggest that the Department be requested 10 count as present the students affected. Otherwise besides the loss of capitation to . the Board, there is a chance that the students' free places may be endangered by non-fulfiliAent of the regulations governing free places. Wood-working trades.—On Tuesday, 15th inst., in response to a circular of invitation, a meeting of employers wa* held at the college. There were present Messrs. Hayden, N. Johnston, Coleman, Northern, Leighton and Lush, A very interesting discussion took place regarding technical work in relation to the trades represented. As a, result of the conference I hope to have a definite proposition to place before the board at the next meeting. The interest evinced by the gentlemen present was most encouraging. I feel sure we shall in future have their hearty co-operation.

Hawera.—At this centre the numbers in the following classes are: —Day classes: Commercial, 43 (39); engineering, 4 (4); arts and science, 8 (7); art and art crafts, 1; domestic, 2 (3); liter arv, 1; agribnltural, 6 (2). Evening classes: English and arithmetic, 40 (&>); -book-keeping, 3G (25); shorthand and typeing, 44 (38); woodwork, 16 (8); cookery, 7 (0); dressmaking, 8 (6). As instructed by the Board I gav>; authority for the necessary attention to the lighting of the commercial room, which is now in a particularly good position inHhis respect. Miss ifolford requested to be allowed to leave her appointment earlier than she expected, and Miss Deane, trainee, filled the- vacancy temporavily. Hiss .Pake, the instructress appointed by the board, has now taken up her duties. Miss Mitchell, of Patea, is taking up the calisthenics work at Haw era, and it has been necessary to use the Forester's Hall, as there is no loom large enough at the College itself. The various classes continue to do good work, and if the members of the board could just look in and see the interest shown in the work I am sure they wouk' realise what a great loss to the district the cessation of these classes would be. I may point out that there are still some classes unrecognised by the Department. Eltliam.—The numbers at this centre are as follows:—English and arithmetic, 25; 'book-keeping, 20; shorthand 20; dressmaking 16; English (night class) 3». Many of these classes had to cease altogether on account of the train service, but have now got going again, and are running well. Mr. Lightborne reports that everything is going smoothly. Stratford— At Stratford the classes and numbers are as follows: —Dressmaking (day), 7; dressmaking (night), 9; shorthand, 7; proficiency, 5. Mr. Tyrer reports that the .plumbing class has started with four pupils in attendance. It is important that al: young plumbers should attend these classes, as no doubt the regulations wil 1 be strongly enforced. The report was ■adopted. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE. The Manual and Technical Committee reported as follows: That further application be made to the department for the recognition of the day technical classes at Hawera. That Miss Mikkelson's resignation o» her 'jiwiiion as cookery and dressmaking instructress be accepted, and that the Director be authorised, after consulting with the chairman of the board, to make, temporary arrangements for filling the position. That the committee cannot at present recommend that Mr. Davis' salary be increased. That application be made to the department lor tiie purchase of machinery and sundries for the engineering class, asked for in Mr. Kirkpatrick's memorandum of 1 the 15th May.

That the Director's recommendation with regard to the appointment of adv'sory committees for the New Plymouth and Hawera technical schools be adopted, and that the first elecLion be held in. .Tuly, and subsequently in July of each year. That the letter dated May 22 from the New Plymouth Technical CollegeAdvisory Hoard bp acknowledged, q.nd that the board be informed of the foregoing recommendation. That the application be made to the department for a subsidy of £221 12s, donated for the purpose of erecting a building for manual and technical classes at Waitara, and that on receipt of a favorable reply the erection of the building be proceeded with. With reference to the department's circular dated March 20, suggesting regulations for free industrial education, the committee approves of the regulations generally, but suggests the follow- ; ng alterations:— (1) That in regulation 1 (II), twelve <«onthg ihould be suhatitutad for six

months in the' time limit since pupil left nriuiarv school, so as to allow of greater elasticity, but even twelve months might sometimes cause a hardship in the case of boys whose parents removed from out-of-the-way districts to the neighborhood of a technical school. (•.'.) That regulation ] (III), providing for the recommendations by inspectors, should be struck out.

(4) That with regard to regulations 4 and S, wh'lle an attendance of 240 hours may be satisfactory as a compulsory minimum, it would be much better if a pupil could be induced to attend for a longer period. The. proposal that capitation will be paid only on an attendance of 240 hours is bad, it should be paid on at least 400 hours.

(5) Capitation should be paid on the attendance made even if less than SO per cent, as the instructors have- to be paid, and unless attendance is made compulsory it is impossible to counteract (he laxity of parents with regard to regular attendance. The chairman moved the adoption of the committee's report, staling that the recommendations were an advance on anything hitherto attempted.

Mr. Dixon seconded the motion, endorsing the proposals as likely to be of beneficial effect in widening the opportunities for industrial education to the Children of the poorer classes of people.

Mr. White thought something should be done in the direction of standardising industrial education. The motion was carried.