TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 243, 12 September 1929, Page 2

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

CONFERENCE CF TEACHERS. In his address at the annual conference of the Technical Education Association of New Zealand at Wellington this week the president (Mr H. S. W. King) outlined the scheme of postprimary reorganisations adopted by tho New Zealand, Technical School Teachers’ Association at its May meeting. This he put forward purely as a basis which would facilitate dealing with the many problems involved. Last year, he stated, lie had put before the conference the main recommendations of the Hadow report dealing with the education of the adolescent, which included the following: (1) That the primary stage of education should end at 11 years: (2) that post-primary education should be compulsory to the ago of 15 years; (3) that post-primary schools should include (a) grammar schools of the academic type preparing pupils for the university, (b) modern schools of less academic type giving a large place to various forms of practical v ork; (4) that a leaving certificate should be available for pupils of the modern schools. ACADEMIC WORK. “In respect to tho first of these recommendations,” said Air King, “I am of the opinion that tire New Zealand system which holds children in the primary schools until they are 14 involves a period of marking time for many children. It has been proved in the junior high schools already established in Now Zealand that by grouping the best pupils a gain of a year is possible for thoso who succeed in the academic work of a high school or grammar school. It would probably also be true that a greater gain would bo made by those -children whose predilections arc towards practical work; for them such a gain is c>f the utmost importance because their working life must probably begin at an early age, 15 or 16 years. “Some people may regard the course in which practical work is emphasised With disfavour, because they think that in such courses intellectual training is relegated to the background. The Consultative Committee of the Board of Education (United Kingdom) made it clear that for many children some form of practical work formed the best basis for training the intellect. Th.e adoption of the earlier ending of the primary school course is now generally approved, but I doubt that many people realise the very important saving of time it would involve, and, therefore, its great value to the Dominion.” Air King cited figures to show that New Zealand was “far from leading the world in expenditure per head of population on education, and that such parts of the British Empire as Canada and South Africa spent more on education, while in the majority of the western States of the United States education bills per head of the population were 50 per cent, higher than New Zealand’s.” Ho thought that a careful review of expenditure on education in the British Dominions would lead us to the conclusion that an extension of the compulsory age to 15 years would put us on a par ill educational matters with those other Dominions with whom was claimed equality in most other affairs of State. TWO TYPES WANTED.

As advocated by the Hadow report, he was of tho opinion that two distinct types of post-primary schools should be established in New Zealand. The Alinister had very properly drawn attention to the need for more agricultural bias in the Dominion’s educational system. It would be agreed that New Zealand needed for its success the fullest development of its most important industry. He suggested discussion on the following aspects: (a) Wliat are the technical schools doing to improve the skill of young men taking up farming ? (b) What obstacles are at present preventing greater success in this work? (-c) May the criticism of too early specialisation be levelled at the agricultural courses as now established? (d) How may tho courses in technical colleges be made to prepare the best of our students for entry to Alassey and Lincoln Agricultural Colleges? (e) What Incentives may tlie Government fairly be asked to offer in order to encourage more boys to take up farming?