WILL CHILDREN BENEFIT ?

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 22

WILL CHILDREN BENEFIT ?

ABOLITION OF SCHOLARSHIPS DISAGREEMENT IN HOUSE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.* WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Further references to the abolition of scholarships were made in the House to-night. Mr. P. Fraser (Lab., Wellington Central) said that while the Recess Education Committee agreed that the present scholarship system had outlived its usefulness it • had insisted that the money devoted to scholarships should be applied to helping students, by way of bursaries, to proceed to higher education. The Government, however, had not done that; it had abolished the scholarships and was appropriating the money that should go to students who required that assistance. "The thing is entirely wrong," declared Mr. Fraser, "and it is against the committee's recommendation. I hope it will be fought to a standstill and that the House will divide upon it." Mr. E. A. Wright, who was Minister of Education in the Reform. Government, said the fact that secondary education was practically free removed the need for scholarships, and he thought bursaries would be an improvement. Mr. W. Nash (Lab., Hutt) questioned whether the children would be as well off as before, because it was .admitted that £8000 would be saved. The Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, interjected that under the present system the children of wealthy parents were being catered for, but under the bursary system it would be possible to provide secondary education for those who could not afford it. Mr. Nash: Ton don't propose to spend the same amount ? Mr. Atmore: No, because we don't need it.