APPRENTICE SYSTEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1920, Page 5

APPRENTICE SYSTEM.

IS IT.DYING OUT? MINISTER OF EDUCATION'S OPINION. (From Our Special Reporter.) . Hawera, Last Night "One of the rather disconcerting features of modern industry lies in the fact that in many trades the masters find themselves unable to give instruction to their apprentices as was the case in former days," remarked the Hon. C, J. Parr, Minister of Education to a Daily News reporter to-day. "When I was 1 in Auckland," added Mr. Parr, "I was told by a deputation of two trades in which the masters were so beset with orders that it was quite impossible to teach the apprentices in working hours. No doubt the growth of machinery in factories and the use of electric power, is causing this disability to be accentuated. Consequently it seems to me that the technical colleges and trades schools of the future are going to play a most important part in the education and training of young man in trades. Indeed, some trades have already asked me to provide classes in technical schools for teaching apprentices everything about the business." The Minister expressed the opinion that he would not be surprised to see in a few years' time the technical colleges and schools doing nearly all the work of training lads in trades. At the present time technical colleges were doing a great deal in some districts in this direction. Whether, if the system became general, the time given by apprentices to technical schools should not be in the day time rather than at night time was a question that would soon have to be considered.

"The point is," added the Minister, "that the old apprentice system seems to be going out, and that the State through its special schools seems to be called upon to undertake the work of training. There can bo. no doubt that the State gives excellent training, not only on the practical side, but also the theory of the trades and the principles underlying them." In reply to a question whether the Government would compensate employers for the time taken up during the day by their apprentices in attending technical schools, the Minister preferred not to express an opinion at present, but said that the Government would probably give consideration to the matter.