N.Z. Navy Raises Standards For Officer Cadets’ Entry

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29315, 21 September 1960, Page 14

N.Z. Navy Raises Standards For Officer Cadets’ Entry

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept 20. The Royal New Zealand Navy has raised its entry requirements for officer cadets and changed the training syllabus to place greater emphasis on purely academic subjects, particularly science.

The Minister of Defence (Mr Connolly) said today the changes were designed to meet the challenge of a scientific age, and to match new developments in equipment with a new level of knowledge. "Similar changes are being made in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. . Apart from the demands of our new ships. It is important that we should adopt the same academic standards, because all our cadets are at present trained in either

Australia or the United Kingdom, and under the new system they will be trained in both,” he added.

Mr Connolly said that under the new system cadets would enter the Navy once a year in January, instead of three times a year as at present. The basic educational requirement would be university entrance, with particular emphasis on mathematics and physics. The first stage of training would be in Australia, where cadets would attend the Royal Australian Naval College and be given sea experience. During this period they would sit the United Kingdom general certificate of education at the advanced level. The second stage of training would be in the United Kingdom at either the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, the Royal Naval Engineering Collge. Manadon, or the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, depending on the specialisation. “The new programme is designed to balance academic instruction with sea training,” Mr Connolly said. “The requirements are higher, and so are the selection standards. However, I feel that the greater selectivity will be matched by an attractive, interesting and rewarding career for the right type of young man.”