TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1920, Page 3

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

TARANAKI DIRECTOR'S REPORT. Hie Director of Technical Education presented the following report to yesterday's meeting of the Education Board:— New Plymouth.—The attendance lias been good. Five now pupils have enrolled in the day classes am! three have left. Fresh evidence Is continually forthcoming to allow that the lack of 'hostel accommodation is keeping the school from expanding and taking it* rightful place in the community as one of its mast useful Institutions. The total enrolments in the evening classes are 100. An adult class in chemistry for the pharmacy examination will be commenced this week.. ' Swimming sports were held for the first time on Thursday, April 1, and proved wry: successful It is hoped to make this an annual fixture and to encourage the pupils to Co in for life-saring. Miss Howard, domestic sclenoe instructress, relinquished her appointment on March 1'). After vainly trying to get a temporary instructress Mrs. Mooro consented to help us out of a difficulty temporarily.. Mrs. Lambert, ! dressmaking Instructress, had to suddenly undergo an operation. Miss Sandford is iemperarlly filling the position. Mr. Snrndfani relinquished his appointment on March 31. ! Mr. Gorringe will tako up his duties after , Easter.

The two teachers' common rooms qto at present allegedly hen ted by a gas stove in eatfh. The means of heating is so unsatisfactory that it cannot be used at all. I would suggest that two electric heaters bo installed in tho place of the gas heaters.

The want of ground around the school Is becoming quite serious and the very Little amount is mare circumscribed as each load of Education Board timbeT is brought. In Four of our day. pupils gained passes in the intermediate examinations and four partial passes in tho Teachers' "D" certificates. Ma-iFuol Training:—l am at present going through the equipment at the various centres and will endeavor to get out a list before the Board meeting. The utensils for cookery classes and tools for woodwork are. faT from complete. The stoves in the cookery room at Stratford are of very Utile use-; it takes a large amount of fuel and a long time to heat the ovens before commencing to cook. I would suggest that the architect Inspect them ns thev prnbnbiy want refitting I have ne-t been chlo to arrange for a temporary woodwork instructor H<o take Mr. Sundedasid'* place in the southern district. It will probably bo necessarv to drop tho country classes owing to the difficulty of transport and the rtfrol shortage It wouldi perhaps, lie a better Idea if thc-so teachers at the outlying country schools where woodwork is taken, arc given a training in woodwork, say, at a winter school and thus enable them tp take their r.wn woodwork Masses. This would necessitate provWiiiF :i small equipment of tools at e:>ch schno'. :»n<' would be preferable lo the prw*n f system of carrying tools around with tho instructor.

Teacher*' flarses—-I attach herewith ,1 cipy of the syllabus for the teachers' Si'iurday vrh>h have been fvitah!i?hod at Xew Plymouth r.nd Strr.tfnrd. The committee finciudsn:r the chief mspe'-for» who ar*:rred tbo rrnTrrmmp" roo-.mmend, 'that, n conlV.numis winter s'-hoo' be held during the winter holidays f<>r thS benefit, of t)i<\se teacher* who r'amin'. otherwise get Instruction in science subjects T-. is also recommended that tho Hoard tnko into consideration the. matter of rn.*»letnrr r v.ntrihution towards <hn board of these tcacheri while taking Urn mirse This ifl the practice of at least two Education Hoards

AGRICULTURE Mr. Johnson reports as follows on Hie agricultural work fr-r the past month:— Primary schools Th!:' work has been pushed. altogether 27 schools having been visited Mr Syme and mysoif are working the schools systematically from the southern end As in former years much valuable time and energy of instructor.* hna been wasted because schools have been closed and no notification sent to the Infl'rticff.'r concerned I would once morel suggest !hnt some notification be se.nt Mr. Bnrley. with his one day ;i week free for l-rimrry work will concentrate on dairy science. Tn thb respcu't. however, he Is somewhat hndicappad for men.ns of conveynnee Dairy work Is M'ins taken up keenly this year and already several schools have taken up v.orl: afresh. I would here express my plea-: sure for the way tools a?xl apparatus arc ho- j ins sent lo ihei schools requiring same Regular Instruction has bi-en given on Fridry of °ach wt'r-k at Stratford J>TfS All claw A up *o nnd incliidiiur matriculation class am handled for agriculture nnd dairy science. Mr. Kymo ropers as follows:—During the month Ho pr'nu-ry schools were visited "and I el so visited five others in company with Mr. Johnson In mo.;: of these schools a Rood start has been mr.do with all branches of this work both inside nnd outside. Secondary school work—Stratford: Thursdays are with the High School classes In agriculture and dairy science The timetable has hem definitely arranged ' and all classes hard sc-H led down to steady work. Opunake: A start was mr.de with the work In agriculture rnd dairy science on Friunv, 2fith Inst There were twelve pupils In the class and all seemed very keon cn the work.

MANUAL AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE The Manual and Technical Committee of the Board made the following recommendations That electric heaters bo Installed in the teachers' commai room In the Ndw Plymouth Technical School; thr.t '.lie matter of the sto-os !n the Stratford Technical School he referral to the architect with por&r to art; that tile matter of woodwork instruction hi the country schools ho referred hack to the direcu,:' to formulate a definite! scheme whereby the Instruction rr.ay Iw continued; that the dheet.ir'n programme suliml'l.'ed for Saturday classes he confirmed and [hat the Board ascertain what other hoards are doint in the matter of assisting teachers to nay their hoard vhllst in town; that, the agricultural instructors ho requested to make an estimate of the cos; of the hcdie plants a.pnl'ied for and a statement. showine the schools that It Is i-ntendod to supply; that tho School Committee he informed that the Board has the matter of the committee's contributions under consideration; that the matter of the rent of Forrester's null in Hawera bo roferred hack to the Department; that the Director's action in ,nt][iolnfin;" Mrs Moore tei-Tipovarv instructor in domestic science In the New' Plymouth Technical School ho approved.