EXTENSION OF SCHOOL AGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1921, Page 12

EXTENSION OF SCHOOL AGE.

NEED FOR COMPLETED EDUCATION

AUTHORITATIVE OPINIONS.

The severe strictures of a Christchurch Magistrate recently on the system which permits boys to leave school at the age of fourteen years with incompleted educations to drift into blind-alley occupations has excited considerable comment.

“Ninety per cent of these boys,’’ said the Magistrate (Mr. Day, S.M.), “wind up as laborers. There is nothing for them to look forward to. If their education were continued until the age of sixteen years, some of them would have the chance of taking up really good employment and escaping from the great ranks of casual laborers.”

Discussing the matter with an Auckland Stir representative, Mr. S. E. Wright, secretary of the Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association, expressed the opinion that, whilst more extended education would be a good thing as a general principle, each boy should be judged on his individual merits. Some boys of fourteen years were far ahead of others of sixteen in education and general intelligence. In this matter of extension they would have to consider the working class, where the boy had to get out and earn money as early as possible, owing to the inadequacy of household finances in large families. It was a great temptation to struggling parents to put their boys into blindalley occupations, because higher wages were obtained than were by apprentices to start.

TRADES AND BLIND ALLEYS.

“I should say, though,’’ said Mr. Wright, “that a boy of fourteen who has attained a reasonable standard of education should certainly be allowed to enter into -an apprenticeship; but a 'longer term of education should be required of the boy who is to enter a blind-alley, occupation. This would have the effect of inducing a great many more boys to learn trades, which would be a good thing for industry and for the community generally. The apprentice of to-day is continuing his education: the boy in a blind-alley occupation is at an educational stop because he is learning nothing. Higher wages cannot be paid to apprentices because the average boy learning a trade is for the first two years a loss to his employer. whereas the messenger boy and ethers of the ilk are immediately a source of convenience and profit, and so can be paid higher wages.” Asked whether it would not be possible for a scheme to be evolved by which higher wages could be paid apprentices so that more boys could be induced to learn trades, Mr, Wright said that the individual employer could not afford greater remuneration, for untutored boys; therefore, any scheme in <his direction would have to-be financed hv the Government or by the indus-f try generally. If the whole of an industry was taxed to find the extra monev, it would be all right; but if* left to the individual employer, competition would place the man who paid at a disadvantage. There was a large number of cases in which employers would not be bothered with aprentices and the limitation of apprentices through the Arbitration Court and the unions rendered the position still more difficult. “While I should say it is an ideal principle to keep a boy at school until the age of sixteen,” continued Mr. Wright, “1 should add, ‘so long as he is learning.’ Regarding apprentices, most of the boys in the engineering trade, for instance, go to the Technical School at night. This night, education system could be extended further to embrace those boys who have entered blind-alley occupations, but these boys as a general rule will not attend school after being at work all day.”

EDUCATIONAL POINT OF VIEW.

Mr. E. C. Purdie, secretary to the Board of Education, said it was certainly desirable that education should be more complete. “We cannot cram into the average boy befdre he reaches the age of fourteen sufficient knowledge to equip him to go out and fight the battle of life,” said Mr. Purdie, “and even if we could, cramming methods are not good.” He added that the extension of the school age had already been seriously considered by the authorities—in fact, the Legislature had dealt with it, for in the amended Act of 1920 provision was made to extend the leaving age to fifteen years, and this could be brought into operation at the beginning of 1022 by Ministerial proclamation.”

“But,” he added, “this cannot be immediately and lightly uudertaken. It will mean that a great many more teachers and much extra accommodation will be needed, and the education bill of the Dominion will go up, 1 should say, 12 per cent. This will require the finding of a great deal of money.”