412 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— L. 



the vagaries of fashion and the inevitable machine. Sprigging has passed almost 

 wholly on to the Swiss machine (which we introduced into the North of Ireland with 

 success), while the hand-loom wooUens are rapidly following hand-loom Unens into 

 the factory. This is much to be regretted, and I think we should conserve home 

 industries as far as possible on account of their educational value, though they afford 

 no solution of our industrial problems. The whole tendency of industry to-day is 

 away from the ' craftsman ' and towards the efficient machine and mass production. 

 The Educational Administrator must re-orient himself. 



Our task would be comparatively simple if we could ascertain for what avocation 

 we were training our pupils, but it is usually quite impossible to do this during the 

 Primary School Course, and in any case I think it is unsound to modify the Primarj^ 

 curriculum because of any consideration of this kind, although I would insist on three 

 subjects as ' essential ' in such a curriculum, namely, (1) Manual Instruction in Wood 

 and Metal, (2) Drawing, and (3) Elementary Experimental Science. For those who 

 have to foUow a ' trade ' the years 14-1- to 16-[- should be spent in a Continuation 

 School in which the curriculum should be designed with a view to such avocations. 

 The advantages of management of such schools by local authorities are obvious, but 

 the character of the curriculum should be the work of a Central Authority — acting 

 under the advice of industrialists. 



The provision of such schools to meet the needs of a growing population is clearly 

 a matter of time. In Ireland, where the population was not growing and funds were 

 not available, it was endeavoured to meet the need, as far as might be, by scholar- 

 ships and every type was in turn employed, namely : — 



1. Scholarships from Primary to Secondary Schools. 



2. Scholarships from Primary Schools tenable during apprenticeship with 

 attendance at Technical Schools. 



3. Scholarships from works to higher technological institutions (for training 

 managers and foremen). 



4. Scholarships from Secondary Schools to higher Art and Technical 

 Institutions. 



(A consideration of some of the results of these experiments and of a scheme of 

 training in the works. The attitude of schools, parents and employers.) 



The changes which are taking place in the character of industrial undertakings 

 involve a change in the training of our industrial leaders. There should be : — 



(o) Specific training in the higher branches of Physical and Chemical Science 

 including research work. 



(6) Training in Business Organisation, and 



(c) Training in Salesmanship. 



(The work of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.) 



(c) Dr. S. F. N. Gte. — Vocational versus other Education in South Africa. 



(d) Mr. W. M. Heller. — Education for Employment. 



British secondary schools, being the lineal descendants of the ' Latin ' or 

 ' Grammar ' schools, have produced a race of schoolmasters distrustful of vocational 

 education. ' Cultural ' education became sjmonymous with classical and literary 

 studies. 



Times have changed ; the schoolmaster has been forced to broaden his curriculum 

 and to modify his conception of culture. Improved aims and methods have to be 

 negatived by the growing influence of external examinations. 



Indirectly, all education is a preparation for the employment of our working and 

 leisure hours. In the special sense vocational education applies to the two years 

 immediately preceding employment. A deliberate effort to establish standards of 

 conduct and work should permeate all forms of education. 



In the primary school the assumption that the three R's provide an aU-sufficient 

 equipment is a most dangerous fallacy. The young child craves for general know- 

 ledge based upon his owti experience and especially for manual occupations. 



At twelve years of age a definite change in the aims and methods of instruction 

 becomes necessary. Those intended for professions pass to the secondary school, 

 but the majority leaving school at or before 16 should enter a whole time vocational 

 secondary school. These two types differ in outlook, curriculum and methods. 



The vocational school will provide an education for employment ; it will have an 



