AND UTILITY

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 274, 20 December 1929, Page 8

AND UTILITY

CLE\' KK f\\ AX DIWORK BY XAPIER PBLMARY SCHOOL BOYS. AX IXTERESTIXG EXlIlBmOX. An intcrosting and enlightening exhihition was held in tlie, maimai training school in Clive Square yesterday ; aitcnioon and last night, when tlie | upper standard hoys of the yarious Xapier pripiary school s had ou sliow j sainples of the woodwork and carj j peutry done by, the 111 during the year. j Regular classes .in this type of work, j are held througliout tlie year, the boys | heing iiistructed in tlie theory of construetion hy woodwork, the drawing of plans and models, the types and lises of ihe diiferent woods, and all the ' theory work a.ssoeiated with elementary j ea rpentrv and cahinet work. Given the use of tools and benches, 1 Ihe hoys are nlso given praetical in- • .sliuetion in tlie making of various urticles from wood, and in this direction their work goes far beyond the elementary stage. One visitor who was present at the exhibition yesterday at tlie same time as the reporter expressed the opinion, after reviewing the saniplesv of the boys' work, that it would do eredit to any fiilly quaiified tradesman. There was a most diversified eollectiou of arlicles made hy the boys on show. and eaeh one was cleverly designed, neatly put together and nicely finislied, speaking volumes for the thought put in by the pupils in conceiving tlie design and the care taken in the rxecution of the work. All the models were made to the j hoys' own designs, and nearly1 all. of them gave indicatious that the creaI tive faculty is not lacking in tlie pre- • sent-day school boy. Soine of the articles 011 show were purely ornamenta) kniek-knacks. but by far the majority were really useful articles having a definite praetical utilitv value in any home. Paim stands, fire screens, dinner waggons, tea trays. shaving- cahinets, l'enders, tie and toothbrush racks, office memorandums, rocking liorses and coat hangevs Avefe amongst the varied articles on show. Eaeh oue was neatly and sturdily made, and nearly all were nieely finislied and stained. Cards attaehed to eaeh exhibit gave the name of the maker, with his sch.ool and age. aud it was a notewortby fact tliat while oue or two cards indicated tliat those particular pupils were 16 years of age- quite the larger percentage were sliown to be 12, 13 and 14.

A feature 'of the exhibition was the interest taken by the pupils in their work, and tlie reporter's first experienee on entering the exhibition was to have a healtliy young tradesman approach him with a courteous offer to act as guide. Several other hoys were present and were most attentive to visitors, explaining the exhibits and the work done, and .receiving with commendable modesty the complimentary remarks that were passed as to tlie standard of tradesmanship. All the visitors who inspected the v ork were most genei'ous in their praise of the high standard set in his instruction hy the tutor, Mr J. F. 31. Stinear. and most enthnsiastic over the skill and care displayed by his yonng eharges in the carrying out of their work. "I don't suppose one person in ten realises that sucb work is done in our schools." remai'ked one visitor, liimself a tradesman, to the reporter, "and I certainly think this work ought to be exhibited at every opportunity, so that the people may know that in one department at least our educational system teaches the boys something that will be useful to them in later life, eitlier as a means to livelihood or as a useful hohby."