us that the goal is unattainable, yet there are some measures that do help to bring about equality of opportunity. One important step is to offer a course of study commensurate with a child’s ability, aptitudes and desires.

Traditionally, every child in school has been required to learn the same subject matter, and courses we‘re geared to entrance into university, though very few Island boys and girls had university as their aim. The majority dropped out of school and entered a labor force for which school had given them neither suitable nor adequate preparation.

From its very beginning, Horne and School took a stand for diversification of curriculum. The provincial executive pressed for vocational education, and during the early 1960’s much effort was directed to giving information to parents and public as to the meaning of and the need for vocational education.

Over the years people had become conditioned to think that vocational training was an inferior field, to be entered by students who did not have the ability for academic studies. The se|f~appointed task of Home and School was to change the public image of vocational education A to bring about an awareness of this second educational stream as a worthy goal for students, to remove the connotation that vocational training was a second- rate course for those who "couldn't make it" academically.

To change thinking required many resources. Home and School conducted programs in the local associations and made use of monthly news-letters to the locals. Radio and television interviews were conducted with principals of the vocational schools, explaining their program to the general public. Work- shops were conducted on a regional basis, in order to provide

opportunity for questions to be asked and opinions to be offered.

During those years Home and School was fortunate to have executive officers who were engaged in the area of vocational education. Matt Hagan and Ivan MacKenzie gave strong leadership in this branch of the work. On the national scene, Mr. Max Bedford represented Home and School on the National Technical and Vocational Training Advisory Council. Early concerns of that council were the desirability of uniform standards for training programs, needs for skilled workers, programs of

45