Read justment Advice For V.S.A. Workers

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31787, 18 September 1968, Page 8

Read justment Advice For V.S.A. Workers

Volunteer Service Abroad is arranging special advice for its young people returning from overseas who may have problems of readjustment. It will prepare a bulletin for those about to return home, and arrange for counsellors at each university to give assistance. Keeping track of subsequent work of those who went straight from school into Volunteer Service Abroad, the organisation got replies from 56 out of 66 who have served overseas in the last four

yean. Most attended university. One group of 26, for which complete academic records were available, attempted 116 university units, passed 79 per cent, failed 15 per cent, and withdrew from 8 per cent. Fifty results were B-grade or better. In their first year at university, 73 per cent of these students passed their units, an average of three units and a half each.

Only two claimed that their service abroad harmed'their performance. Another said: “This is an excuse, not a fact” However, almost half of all volunteers admitted some problems of readjustment lasting from a few weeks to five months. Many said these problems stemmed from frustration at complacency in New Zealand, or a strong desire to return overseas.