Australian Newsletter Student Initiation Ceremonies Banned

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30063, 22 February 1963, Page 5

Australian Newsletter Student Initiation Ceremonies Banned

[By

FRANK PUDDICOMBE,

N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent]

SYDNEY.

The Director-General of Agriculture has banned initiation ceremonies at agricultural colleges in New South Wales. Describing the “ragging” ceremonies as “barbaric rubbish,” the Director-General, Dr. Grahame Edgar, said: “This nonsense must stop.”

Dr. Edgar has called for a report on allegations that a 19-year-old Perth student’s illness was caused by an initiation ceremony at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College (near Sydney).

The youth spent two days in hospital. Dr. Edgar has sought medical opinion on whether the alleged ragging was responsible for the student’s condition, and he has asked also for details of the initiation ceremony.

“I am anxiously awaiting the report,” said Dr. Edgar, "because I have been told the student was deliberately kepit awake for a week.” it has been claimed that other new students have been forced to run around the college oval for an hour with dead ’possums around their necks, and were kept awake for long periods. Dr. Edgar said it could well be that the culprits would be allowed off this time with a severe caution, but offenders in future would be dealt with.

The principal of Hawkesbury College, Mr B. Doman, said about 100 boys had taken part in the initiation ceremony and if one had to be punished, the entire 100 would need to be.

Two Sydney editorial writers, in condemning the initiation rags, spoke of their being an outlet for sadism. Some years ago a student

was drowned during a “rag” in which he was repeatedly thrown into the water.

* ¥ ¥ Adult Education A storm of protest has broken over a sudden closing of adult evening education classes in New South Wales. As an economy measure. The Government has drastically cut the classes, which have grown to an astonishing size in recent years. From a few hundred after World War 11, the number of students enrolled had grown to nearly -40,000 at the end of last year. Now, thousands of eager adult students throughout the State have suddenly found there are no classes for them—even though in many cases they had already paid their fees. The classes were devised for the important and exciting task of teaching grownups how to live fuller, happier lives. They brought together people of all walks of life in a common enthusiasm to learn about the same things. The classes taught all manner of things from ju-jitsu to gemcutting and fishing. The students paid 30s a term to be taught, and if there were not 15 students enrolled for any subject at a centre, there was no class. Mostly, however, the applications exceeded the class quotas.

When the classes were due to resume this month after the Christmas recess, the government announced that they were to be heavily cut. Some of the evening colleges had their allocations halved.

Classes at some colleges were reduced from 60 to 27. Many of those deprived of instruction are young housewives who were attending cooking, dressmaking, millinery and other “household” classes. In face of rising resentment against the class cuts, the Minister for Education (Mir E. Wetherell) has been at pains to explain that they

were prompted solely by a shortage of money. However, one teacher claimed the department would save less than £30,000 a year on the ciit-backs in 60 evening colleges through the state.

Teaching staffs at a number of colleges have held protest meetings and Opposition members of Parliament have described the Government’s move as “ludicrous, petty and paltry.” Liberal Parliamentarians said the Government acted because the classes were increasing (and thereby costing more money) but this proved the people wanted them. A Sydney doctor deplored the ban on some evening hobby classes. He said the classes were of enormous value to patients under psychiatric treatment. Dr. John McGeorge, consultant psychiatrist to the Justice and Prisons Departments, described the ban as “most unfortunate.” He said many doctors sent patients to certain classes.

Political correspondents say the Government will face a storm of criticism from both its own and Opposition members, when Parliament resumes over this irritating economy. ¥ ¥ ¥ Poker Machine Bond A 28-year-old Sydney refrigeration engineer will go to goal if he plays a poker machine in the next three years. He is John Cowderoy, who this week was placed on a good behaviour bond for three years after pleading guilty to having embezzled £565 from his employer. Cowderoy spent most of the money on poker machines and drink.

Judge Donovan, in making the unusual conditions to the bond, said: “When you raise your hand to play a machine remember you are about to leave your wife and two children and enjoy the hospitality of Paramatta (Sydney) Goal.”