TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1919, Page 3

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT, At the Taranaki Education: Board meeting yesterday, the director reported that the total number of students at New Plymouth was 170. As a number of students were boarding in town, he asked for a decision as to whether any boarding allowance was made by the Department. If noi, it would seem to be necessary to draw the Department's attention to the anomaly existing. This also applied to Hawera.

The director drew the Board's attention to the disabilities under which the New Plymouth school was suffering with regard to playing areas. Although the Board granted permission to lay down a tennis court, no space sufficiently largo could be found. Either the shifting of the Board's workshops or the utilisation of part of the centra! playground would seem to be imperative. He respectfully, suggested that the Board consider the whole question of sites. It would appear that the block which at present contains the Central School, the Board's offices and workshops, and the Technical College, is large enough only /or one or other of the schools, and that all the remaining buildings should be placed on other sites. Train Service.—lt was also pointed out that the train service is still curtailed, and that much inconvenience is caused thereby. The normal train service is particularly bad for Mew Plymouth from a school's standpoint.

At Hawera the students totalled 130. The engineering uepartment is working under difficulties, as no grant has been made by the Department for apparatus. The thanks of the class are due to Messrs Bennett and Sutton, and Mr Evans, of the Elc'ric Light Department, who have t a number of articles for instructional purposes. The Borough Council has kindly mown the grass in the Domain in readiness for the school sports. The willingness of all classes of the community at Hawera to do everything possible for the school is most marked, and augurs well for the future.

Evening Classes. —The evening classes at the various centres have not yet got into full swing. At Stratford classes in dressmaking and commercial work are arranged, while the compulsory students will have a complete course as last year. The Departmental aitittide towards compulsory attendance seem." to be in the direction of general regulations, as the Department proposes to issue the regulations by order in council. Country Woodwork.—While on his way to take a class the instructor of country woodwork met with an accident by colliding with a motor car. He is now in the Hawera Hospital. It is very difficult to get anyone to take these classes temporarily, and it would seem that the only thing to do is to wait for the instructor to recover.

MANUAL AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE. The committee recommended that the overseer be instructed to report on the ventilation of the class rooms in the New Plymouth Technical College; that the Minister for Education be informed that Urn Board is prepared to offer to Mr James S. Mackenzie an appointment ■to a position in the proposed Hawera Technical High School at the same Balary which lie now receives, but at the same timo enter a most emphatic protest against the Minister's action in making the conditions which he has done, with reference to the disestablishment of the Hawera District High School; that applications be invited for the position made vacant bv the resignation of Mrs Kirkpatrick; that Mrs Wood be appointed to the vacancy on the staff of the New Plymouth Technical College, caused by the resignation of Miss Leech; that Miss Jensen be appointed registrar of Technical instruction, and that her salary be raised to i'loo per annum from April 1 ; that Mr H. Insull be informed that the Board regrets that it cannot contribute towards the expense of his removal from Walton to Stratford; that the department be again asked to make a grant for the purchase of apparatus for the engineering class at Hawera; that the attention of the Department be drawn to the anomaly in the regulations for contributing towards the expense of boardin°children attending district high schools, as the regulations make no provision for payment of board of children attending technical or secondary schools. In moving the adoption of the Technical and Manual Committee's report, Mr Trimble said he did not think it right that the people of the district should be penalised to the extent of making the improvements insisted upon in connection with the temporary school premises. Ho was not so 40* concerned with the appointment of Mr McKeiizie as with the improvements to the building being insisted upon. Mr Smith said he agreed that the Minister m imposing the conditions had placed the Board in a very unfair posiwell as the people of Hawera. T Minister should impo.se his private views in such a way before those of the people of the district and the Board. The chairman said he disapproved of the conditions laid down by the Minister, especially with regard to improvements to the temporary school premises. The people of Hawera should not he compelled to pay for these improvements out of their own pockets, Regarding the condition requiring an appointment to be found for Mr McKewie he pointed out that it was the Minister's duty to see that those employed in the District. High School were ensured positions. If the Boan] a(!opted t)le attitude that it would not appoint Mr Mckenzie to the Teehnicn! School. th.ii it would mean ihit Hawera would not get a school thj; year, or perhaps for some time. It might happen that at tie forthcoming general election the National Government would go out of ofliw, and it was not at all sure who would be Minister of Education. Tt might be someone opposed to the disestablishment of the Hiih School, and it the school was not secured immediately its prospects might be greatly prejudiced. He was riot prepared to vote "gainst the report and so spoil Ikwera's TV! • gcttin?r a sc,l ° ol at once - M" White said he understood that the was obliged to provide n position or any permanent teacher whose position was altered or changed or done away with ), y SIU ,„ .-, dl as t]laj . (o take place at Hawera. Mr Smith pointed out that if anv opposition was rinsed it would give the authorities i„ Wellington the opportunity of delaying the establishment of n | Technical High School at Hawera. I ilie report iva.i adopted