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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-05-02, Page 17•,i'urvS(�rHr IS • ,ltt wa Ve OD homed In crit Forest, Milvert, , Elmira, Palmerston., H r at911, 00.10, ?ilonkton, Milbank l leWl9n, Qllfforc#, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefieldand Arthur. Wednesday, May Zp 1964. �%�s"03f>vz:O by Dave Hutson Today's education more than the 3Rs Technology refers to all the ways man are in, great demand. This exacting subject uses his inventions and discoveries to satisfy is tied closely with mathematics, physics, his needs and desires. Ever since man ap- : chiemistry, molding and welding. Buildings geared on earth, he has had to work to ole and machines built today will be the ground tain food, clothing and shelter. Through the work for advanc ment in the future. ages, man invented thousands of tool's; In the early 1900's more and more farmers machines, materials, and °techniques to ;.began using tractors and other machines make his work easier. powered by gasoline or electricity. 'Today Technical education has had. a long his- machines are iniportant to the agricultural tory. In early Biblical times, schools were community. As a result of advanced techno- unknown, but the business of each head of a logy agriculture has become an important family was to educate his children. Pupils and very necessary industry in Canada. were trained to ask questions, to debate, to ESTABLISHED 1834 discuss and each father was required to Technical education in Ontario began with teach his son some handicraft, for example the founding of Mechanical Institutes to pro - the tentmaker or a fisherman passed on his mote the education of mechanics' classes. particular trade. As early as 1834., a petition was presented to The guild was first known in Ephesus. The the legislature at York for the establishing tentmaker and the carpenter were ex- of amw a ples of a kind of guild system. In the next Mechanics' were opened iInstitute. Such institutes Woodstock and Kemptville few centuries guilds ,of merchants and in 1835, in Brantford in 1836, and in Toronto craftsmen were formed. Socially the func- in 1847. The cotirse of study offered included tion of the guild facilitated the transition ` drawing, eleMents of physics, chemistry from the tie of kinship to that of a fellowship and suitable academic subjects. based on a common profession, from family The first actual introduction of manual to trade. training into an Ontario school curriculum In order to restrict the numbers entering a occurred at Woodstock College in 1886. The skilled trade in the 16th century- the guildspurpose` of the. rtlanual training course was set up an unusually difficult skill perform- purely educati nallas no. attempt twas-Made ance test,— the masterpiece. The appren- to teach a trade. ticeship system arose from the joining to- • In 1900 manhal training' was endorsed by gether of . craftsmen into guilds for mutual the Departmept• of Education and by 1904 protection and the statute of apprentices had been inchlded as an optional subject in (1563) passad in the reign of Elizabeth in courses of study in Ontario. England,. ppevented,a person with less than , ' seven year.S''`training from engaging in a In 1909 the #tobertson Royal Commission trade, thus eliminating poor workmanship on Industrial and Technical Education was and increasiing.wages. set up to inquire into the needs of the Domin- Problems developed from this system. ion in respect to industrial training. With the The youth learned. but one operation and few approach of World War I the government gther subjects were taught at that time. was unable tq enact any recommendations. Hence a nevi forth of training began to sup- Such enactment, however, was carried out element the training of those engaged in in- in 1919. Many Acts followed to upgrade and dustry. Mechanics Institutes. were set up,, promote technical education, an education , some of which developed into polytechnics, that is concerned with making things hap- . tpcbnical schoojs anal Fplieges.,Suc11 schgols den, one at enables man to live in greater 1h' Aw 4040 t st tyik ei& ka greed ffl t � .,any previous time in his-, flee lliiip .` ►dut'tfifell y`° day .be. P' tar. ° : .. •a . :rooted-. by having not only. highly ' skilled Since World War II many of our, skilled workmen, but also workmen Tho know the technical people have been imported from scientific and mathematical principlesupon other:countries, while canadiaris appear to which their trade is founded. vie for jobs in a highly competitive market. Industrial technology began .about 200 During the :early 1960's Ontario came out years ago with the development of power- with the Robarts Plan which coupled with driven machines, the growth of factories, and mass production of goods. As techno- logy advanced it affected more and more aspects of man's life. For example, the de- velopment. of the automobile influenced where people lived and worked and how they spent their leisure time. Radio and televi- sion changed entertainment habits and the telephone revolutionized communication. Today, industrial technology helps man area. achieve goals that few people thought poss- One must agree that we live in an industri- ible a hundred years ago. For example, al age, a mechanized agricultural age, a electricity brought about better lighting and technological age. Are we encouraging suf- ventilation along with hydro powered mach- . ficient intelligent young people to fill this de- mes which are important in today's home manding field of trained skills, as well as be - METAL SHEAR—Trevor Roberts, a Grade District Secondary School student works fabrication project using a metal shear. 12 Norwell on a metal GOOD TIMING—BiIIy-Jo Kinzel (top), Mount Forest, a Grade 1 1 student of Norwell District Secondary School, is shown timing an engine, during an engine overhaul project in automotive class. LDSS Career Week program puts students in touch with workplace Reeve COMPUTER AGE—Winnie Zemmelink, president of the Norwell District Secondary Scho I student council, operates a .video -display terminal during a course in computer studies. � by Ivy A generation ago, when Help Wanted columns were much lengthier than Work Wanted columns, secondary school and university graduates could be almost cer- tain that, of ter a few interviews, a job would be theirs for the taking: Then, the comparative stability of the job market made it possible for students to set their sights on a job, take specialized courses, and pursue their objectives in post- graduate studies or in the school of "hard knocks". If students had difficulties deciding what they wanted to do when they "grew up", teachers and textbooks gave them direction: Now, however, because of high unem- ployment rates and unpredictable and radical shifts in the job market, students are often "very anxious" about career choices, says Nick Warus, head of the Guidance Department at Listowel District Secondary School. Textbooks can't help them anymore. Publishers, Mr. Wares says, have stopped issuing books about careers because by the time the book is published the information is obsolete. Mr. Warus says students now are being advised to come to terms with the possibility that before they retire it may be necessary for them to undergo career "reprogram- ming" half a dozen times. As a result, young people are being advised to prepare themselves for several careers. "The idea is that if Plan A doesn't work, then they can go for B or C," Mr. Warus says. Some students have become confused and pessimistic' and may be inclined to defer career choices, Mr. Warus says. To provide encouragement, the LDSS Guidance Department instituted a unique program `a few years ago: semi-annual Career Weeks which put young people in. touch with workplaces. TOURS -• Small groups of students tour Listowel and area factories, offices; stores and other business establishments, and have op- portunities to talk to employers and em- ployees. LDSS students have had behind -the - scenes tours of a veterinary clinic, Listowel Memorial Hospital, the town police headquarters, medical centres, legal of- fices, bank. branches, automobile dealer- ships, hairdressing salons, a funeral home, a newspaper publishing establishment and other workplaces. They've asked countless questions, — "usually very practical questions," Mr. Warus says — about the history of the operation, anticipated technological changes, salaries, opportunities for promotion, training requirements, hours of work, and what employers look for when hiring or firing. Many students want to know about the problems and rewards of starting businesses of their own. Some business people prepare special demonstrations for visiting students. For example, an automobile salesman lifted the hood of a new car and explained why Henry Ford might be befuddled by the engine of a modern vehicle. The tours can be very revealjng, Mr. Warus indicates. Students see there is some drudgery in what they may have supposed were thoroughly interesting careers, and that heads as well as hands must be hip gear to operate complex factory machinery. During a visit to a supermarket, a tour that started at the back door where mer- chandise is delivered and ended at the check-out counter, students learned there is much more to operating a grocery store than stacking shelves and filling produce bins. ,. BIG ATTRACTION Many students found police work fascinating. "It's one of the biggest attractions," Mr. Warus says. A visit to the Day Care Centre prompted considerable interest irk early childhood education. And any factory or business firm which uses computers "is a big drawing card", Mr. Warus says. Business people, Mr. Warus says, have been hospitable and helpful. "There has been a very, very positive response despite the disruptions of students wandering through the place, asking questions." As for the students, Mr. Warus believes Career Week explorations may help them feel more optimistic and ambitious about their job futures. One Grade 9 student said she had been impressed by the fact that in the local area women work as lawyers, accountants, optometrists, veterinarians and newspaper editors. Mr. Warus says that on more than one occasion, a Career Week tour has persuaded a student not to drop out in Grade 9. Following tours, students are asked to evaluate their experiences. They make recommendations for future tours and have a chance to turn the tables on teachers and give the school's Career Week program a "report card". It's a tribute to the Guidance Department and local businesses that after Career Week last fall, 31 of 50 students gave the tours an "excellent" rating. federal financing saw additions to many secondary -schools. This plan permitted many young people to remain in school and get an education in areas where skilled edu- cation and training is necessary. This past year we read about OSIS. (Ontario Schools — Intermediate Senior) during which time a student is required to take a credit in the business or technical and industry. coming a tax supporting citizen?. Today In theservice area mechanical draftsmen there is more to education than the 3 R''s. Photos courtesy of Norwell D.S.S. Ikgr 5 MACHINE SHOP -'-eon Grant, a Grade 11 student at Norwell milling machine, District Secondary School, Palmerston, works bn'•te vertical milling an I side corner for an` arbt r press.