TRAINING OF APPRENTICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 June 1917, Page 5

TRAINING OF APPRENTICES.

NECESSITY FOR IMPROVEMENT By Telegraph.—Pros* Association. Wellington, Last Night. A conference of directors and super*!* sors of technical education concluded to. day. It was decided to meet about tki» time next year, A deputation from the Trades Council waited upon the conference this after' noon to communicate its views re tracing of apprentices. The council considered the training of apprentices bad broken down in the Dominion, and solicited the support of the conference in suggesting such legislation as would enable the children of workers to secure a reasonable standard of knowledge. ' The chairman of the conference, In ' reply, said the matter had already been dealt with along the lines suggested. He said: "We are asking the Government to make ,an age attendhuoe in daytimo up to ftfteeu years. Then wo are asking that from that age to the age of 18 all boys and girls hycouipelled to attend continuation classes for at least 8 hours a week. I would like to see it more, but to get the thing started it is better not to ask too much. We are staking also that employers be compelled ' to provide that time, and where th* hours of labor are fixed by an award, the time should come out of them. We fur* ther recognise these are cases were par* rats have'children who, for tho sake of the family, must earn, a certain amount i>f wages, and in order to avoid, any difficulty arising from children being kept it school'to the age of fifteen years, _we , isk'the Government to provide maintenmce for children in such cases. We ate Further asking that the Arbitration Act should be amended so that awards shall provide for an apprentice spending at least eight hours of his employer's time it a day school. W« know eight hours % day is quite enough for * man, and to isk a growing boy or girl to do eigM hours work at a trade and to put !b time at evening classes is most unfair."