Wednesday, February 26, 1958 THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. Page 8 Ils Our School System Doing The Job With a view to stimulating interest in education, The Tribune has posed the question: students equipped to take their place in commercial and social life of the community? ” Education Week Program The following is the program of events for Education Week, including one program being Staged at the 150 Mile elemen=} tary schoor. Radio Station CKCQ (all pro- grams at 5:30 p.m.). INDAY, MARCH 2 enateraibtion ©46). Wateation Week,” Inspector F. Orme, Quesnel. MONDAY “ A liberal versus a utilitarian Education,” Inspector Doug Chamberlain, Williams Lake. TUESDAY “Thoughts on Wducation,” students of Quesnel Junior- Senior High School. WEDNESDAY “Reply to the students,” members of Williams Lake Di: trict Teachers’ Association. THURSDAY “The class in session,” Wil- liams Lake Junior-Senior High School. FRIDAY “Education for leisure,” Lee Skipp, Williams Lake. SATURDAY “Are the schools giving socjety what it wants? ” Quesnel speaker to be announced. WILLIAMS LAKE PUBLIC EVENTS TUESDAY Public addyess, Elks Hall: * Sputnik Supremacy,” by Dr. Gordon Shrum, U.B.C. Preceded by half hour program. Choral speaking by Skyline School students, and choir singing by Williams Lake Elementa School students, 8 p.m Open house at Williams Lake y, Skyline “Is our educational system producing Supervising School, has written an article in the aff editorial staff nas collected several megative opinions to present principal Tom Beame: , of Williams Lake High rmative, and The Tribune the other side of the story. NEGATIVE “No,” say many businessmen in regard to the first part of the question. Complaint is generally not that the graduate student is lacking in ability to meet the public, but that they are not equipped with the fundamental mechanies of the English langvage. With their experience in interviewing job applicants and 1“ breaking-in ’’ new help, businessmen have stated. the aver- age student has difficulty in spelling and in sentence and thought construction. All of this, they believe, indicates a poor grounding in at least two of the three “ R's.” Asa that company time is wasted while the new employee buckles down and “learns on the job.” Whether this training lack is at the elementary or the junior high school level, the layman is not prepared to say, but he feels there is probably a need for greater emphasis on the basic subjects right through the courses of study of both elementary and high schools. There appears to he little doubt that the graduate of our high schools today is a more self-possessed individual than the student of 20 or 30 years ago. Modern educational methods e cited at times as being designed to produce a student with a ‘well rounded” personality, and it is to be assumed this self-assurance is part of the ‘“roynding.” There i; complaint about this, providing it is not done at the of the fundamentals, Although they may not agree entirely with the swe indictment of the educational system made hy Hilda } in her book, ‘So Little for the Mind,” undoubtedly agree with some of her thoughts when she writes: ping by “The bored ‘ graduates’ of elementary and high schools often are ignorant of things they might be expected to know, and they do not care to learn. They lack an object in life, they are unaware of the job of achievement. They cannot read, write or think. They.can often type, but too often they cannot construct grammatical sentence ey are unaware of the exacting demands of a society from the realities of which they have been carefully insylated.” bers: Dr, Hugh Atwood, Trustee Mrs. S$. Malesku, Hugh Cornwall, High School vice-principal Owen Kerley. Moderator, Dr. Arthur Campbell. THROUGHOUT WEEK Displays of work in selected town store windows. 150 MILE HOUSE PUBLIC EVENT Move To Organize Teen Town Locally A move to start a Teen Town among the younger generation in Williams Lake will be made this Friday. Teenagers from 14 to 19 yea of age are invited to attend an Glendale Plementary. FRIDAY Panel discussion on education, Williams Lake High School auditorium, § p.m. Pane] mem-| AFFIRMATIVE Generally speaking, high school education today is not designed to fit young people for a position in the business life of the community., Rather, it is designed to equip them to meet changing requirements and changing situations flexibly, in order that they may not only earn but learn to live. Voca- “ional and technicai education are the special responsibility, in this province, of: the Di of Technical and Vocational education This div nis responsible for an extensive pro- gram of technical and vocational education through the regular day schools, the special vocational schools and the might schools in the larger centres throughout the province. The program provides for both adult and youth groups and. is conducted in part with the co-operation of the Federal Govern- ment. This division also supervises the Industrial Arts pro- gram. which is part of general education in the secondary schools. Vocational courses to begin preparation for occupational life are offered through both day and night classes in the secondary schools in three areas of training: (a) industrial; ()) commercial: and (c) agricultural. Grants for these courses are paid to lo school hoards. The cost is shared equally between the Provincial Department of Education and the Fede tment of Labor. No vocational courses are offered in the schools of the Williams Lake School District. In the Willlams Lake School District, commerce is the only field in which the schools purport to give any technical instruction which directly tends to fit the student for a position in the business world. The commerce program is so designed that it will meet the needs of two groups of students; a jority who will eontinye to desire vocational training for and a large number of others training for univer- re, or Wanting program enrichment. Students meet st set by manufacturers of type- ers and other business machines, and by other people active in the world of commerce. The student who has a typing speed of 60 words per minute net has a typing speed, no matter what her training, of precisely that—60 words per minute net. Likewise, a student who is capable of taking shorthand at 90 words per minute net, is capable of doing precisely that, at least at the time of the test. One frequently hears criticism of students who take positions in offices who do not spell, compose, record, trans- cribe or perform other routine office chores satisfactorily. Almost invariably, the employer blames this lack of efficiency on the school which the student attended. All too often invest- igation reveals the fact that the employee in question has not completed the prescribed courses and has not graduated from school. Too frequently the employer has inveigled the employee| into taking a position before she is ready for it, against his own better judgment, and over the protests of the school. If employers were to demand that applicants for positions produce a recommendation trom the principal or counsellor of the school, and if employers were to demand a copy of the student's Transcript of High School Record, there might be a number ? * Appointed Logging and Industrial Dealers for Western B.C. * We stock a good variety of used and new tractors * See our modern Shop and Parts Department * For Evening and Weekend Service Phone 292-X (Nominal charge of $5 to compensate employee) IS MODERN SCHOOLING ON A SOUND BASIS? Find out by attending meetings EDUCATION WEEK MARCH 3—s B.C. Equipment Ltd. Box 709 WILLIAMS LAKE Phone 191 1 mile north of junction on Quesnel Highway WEDNESDAY organizational meeting at St.| of employers with staff vacancies, but there would be fewer Panel “Are the|Peter’s Hall at 8 p.m. Enter-| employers complaining about the quality of the graduates of schools doing the job?” § p.m.|tainment following the meeting| the high schools. Panel members: Mrs. C. Zir-| Will take the form of a dance. It is quite safe to say that any student who successfully helt, Everett Stevens, Huston passes through the commerce program and achieves graduation Dunaway. Display of schoo “‘Veto”’ comes from the Latin| will be, at least, adequately equipped to begin training in any work also to be shown: meaning “I cay average modern yommercial establishment. sik Pree ne: ELS = rage modern yomme establis KEN RIFE ‘SURPRISE SALE 3 BIG VALUE DAYS! FEBRUARY 27, 28, MARCH 1 * TOP-NOTCH FOOD VALUES LES PIGEON MANAGERS’ MYSTERY SPECIALS * Read our Flyer — Full of Fine Food Bargains ! FRESH DAFFODILS THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY Nice Selection of Flowering Potied Plants Support Education Week - - March 3 - 8 the wrench to work where it belongs! Our men know your car from bumper to bumper and pride themselves on the quality of their work. DRIVE YOUR CAR IN NOW FOR A FREE ESTIMATE This works out at $15. 74 over 12 months { includes PARTS * BATTERIES * TIRES * The service * REPAIRS * ACCESSORIES * TUBES MENTAL VALVE STICKING? BRAINS ALL PLUGGED UP? Give yourself a spring tune-up by v: functions during EDUCATION WEEK MARCH 3—8 Williams Lake Motors Ltd. PHONE 131 YOU PAY 20% DOWN Hours for the asking Balance Over 12 Months Here’s how it works 1. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR, say $200 2. DOWN PAYMENT $ 40 3. BALANCE TO PAY oo... gcd