SYSTEM OF BURSARIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 207, 1 September 1943, Page 4

SYSTEM OF BURSARIES

FOR COUNTRY CHILDREN

POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION

P.A.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Minister of Education, Mr. Mason, stated to-day that a sum had been placed on the Supplementary Estimates to provide for a new system of bursaries to assist country children who have passed the school certificate examination to spend one or two years in the sixth form of a post-primary school. It had to be realised that the smaller district high school, with a staff of only one or two, or at most five or six teachers, could not provide the same instruction in advanced subjects for sixth form pupils that was available"in,the large post-primary schools. The prot»:em of the country child would be accentuated next year with the introduction of accrediting for entrance to the university. The new university entrance examination to be taken by pupils not accredited would be at a higher standard than the present examination, although in only three subjects. The new bursaries, which will be of an annual value of £40 are planned to meet this situation by enabling country pupils to have all the advantages of a one or two years' course in the sixth form of any State secondary, technical, combined or district high school on the list of schools approved for accrediting Not only would .this be of great help to prospective university entrants from country districts, but it would also free the smaller district high' schools to devote more attention to the needs of the remaining country children, who did not intend to go on - to the university. "Regulations," said Mr. Mason, "are at present being drafted to bring the new system of bursaries into operation in 1944 "