TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1919, Page 8

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

CONFERENCE OP DIRECTORS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The joint conference of representatives of Technical College Boards and directors of technical colleges opened here to-day. Mr. C. H. Opie (Christehurch), presiding, said that the prosperity of the people depended upon the prosperity of the working man, and in the work of reconstruction technical education must play a great part. The time has arrived when technical education should be properly recognised by the State. Greater expenditure was essential, for it was intolerable that the technical educational authorities should be forced to go cap, in hand to the Government to beg grants for sites and equipment. Agriculture formed the basis of New Zealand's prosperity, and technical education as to agriculture must essentially expand. lie advocated granting diplomas to pupils on the completion of their courses as a guarantee of their efficiency and fitness for tbe positions they would take up in their life work. The conference of boards and directors of Technical Colleges endorsed the resolutions passed by the conference of technical directors, and made a very strong rlea for hostels for country students. A remit stating a much needed requirement for technical education was the provision of areas for experimental farms in connection with agricultural instruction was earned. A long discussion took place on the training of teachers for technical courses, and a remit stressing the serious handicap under which the technical schools were placed, working by lack of trained teachers, was passed.