TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1917, Page 2

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

DIRECTOR'S HE ['OUT. The director of technical education reported as follows at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board:— I have the honor to report that all technical classes have now finished for tiie year. •New Plymouth.—At this centre the day classes have kept up better than any previous year, and the work done has been of a very satisfactory nature. The takings at the school concert held [on the sth inst. resulted id A'ili lot gross, the expenses being £7. This balance with the Government subsidy will give us £l9, which I suggest should be earmarked for a tennis court for the girls. This is badly needed, and I suggest that a court be put down at once, as there is absolutely nothing for the girls to do during the summer months. I have to thank the following gentlemen for prizes and medals donated for the sports and for general work, viz;— Messrs Groiner, Hayden, Ferguson, Sturroek, Trimble, Wliitcombe and Sandford, also the various members of the staff who all donated special prizes.

Hawera.. —At this centre classes have been carried on most successfully. For next year there will probably be* an increased staff required, but I shall not be able to make recommendations until the new students are enrolled. If the Department will recognise an engineering class I recommend that an engineering instructor be appointed, at a salary of £225. To carry on the primary school woodwork at the south end of the district I recommend that an instructor be appointed at a salary of £IBO per annum, In addition to working Haweia and Eltham this instructor would take Map.aia, Pih'ama, Kapuni, Kaponga and Mangatoki. lam assuming that the £IOO for motor cycle granted by the Department for the original country scheme would be available for this. Stratford.—This centre has had satisfactory classes, especially in plumbing and motor car work. There appears to be, however, an amount of apathy on the part of parents, and I propose" to approach tiie Stratford committee during the holidays with regard to the introduction of Uii: ooiupiii'.nry clan to, at any rate as far as boys are concerned.

Eltham.—The outstanding feature at llie centre has been the successful morning class held for the purpose oE obviating the necessity for girls to come out at night. I have to thank employers and parents who-havo so arranged matters so as to make this class possible. It appears to me that such classes might well be carried on in all centres. For next year if suitable instructors can be obtained I propose to pay a good deal of attention to physical work in all centres, especially for evening students. The Department will pay capitation on such classes for.students who are taking other classes If sufficient students wore forthcoming it might be possible to conduct these classes at a very small charge right throughout the district; and I am sure the results would justify the efforts. To the various supervisors and members of the etafl's throughout the district I wish to express my gratitude for loyal co-operation during the year, and on t.heir behalf I extend to yourself and the members of the Board best wishes for a pleasant Christmas.

PROPOSED TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL. The committee set up to consider the recommendation of the Director of Technical Education that the proposed technical high school at Stratford be 'placed under the control of the board, recommended that the board submit to the Department, for the consider - taion of the Council of Education, tiie following reasons, pointing out the advantages for the control'of the proposed technical high school being placed under the control of this board: 1. The board is of opinion that the control of all branches of education in this district should bo under the one authority; that it would tend to better correlation of work and obviate the liability of overlapping in schools in the same locality. Where there are boards of management, thero is a tendency to attempt all classes or sections of work in each school, thus preventing efficient working, which would, no doubt, be attained if all the pupils taking a definite course of subjects were concentrated in one school, and the resultant larger classes would necessarily command the services of more efficient teachers. The board would point out that only by the adoption of some system of this kind will it be possible to ensure that a pupil who has obviously taken up an unsuitable course of study, may be directed into one more suited to his natural ability. 2. It is maintained that unity of control will render separate office staffs unnecessary, thus avoiding duplication of work and administration, and reducing the cost thereof to a minimum. :i. i„ is claimed that the Stratford District High School, which is to be replaced by the proposed technical high school, and has been controlled by this board since its inception, is one of the most successful schools of its class in the Dominion. The board suggests that the technical high school should be managed, subject to the control of the Education Board, by a committee to be elected by the parents of pupils attending the school, to be provided with powers similar to those of school committees. In view of the establishment of a technical high school at Stratford, and probably also at Hawera in the near future', the board is strongly of opinion that the time is opportune to give effect to the above recommendation. Mr. Trimble expressed his regret that the report had not gone further and also recommended that the franchise for the election of the education boards should be considerably widened. He said that under the present system it was money that counted and not men. Mr. Wilkinson said he did not consider it was the province of the board to try to teach the Government how education boards should be elected. He thought the report embodied the only attitude the board could take up. He moved that the report be adopted. Mr. Smith seconded the proposal, which was carried, Mr. Trimblo dissenting.