National plan ‘nebulous’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 3

National plan ‘nebulous’

(From our education reporter)

WELLINGTON, August 26

Proposals on a tertiary student bursary announced today by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) received no support from representatives of student teachers and university students.

Mr Muldoon told the annual conference of the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association that the present standard tertiary’ bursary had created more anomalies than it sought to eliminate. The National Party proposed to retain the present allowances paid to student teachers and to reinstate the A and B bursaries at the same levels and on the same conditions as applied this year. The proposals would place technical institute students on the same relative basis as university students. Mr Muldoon said a National government would replace the recently announced standard bursary as soon as negotiations permitted with a new bursary increased to take into account costs. It would be adjusted each year. Student bodies, professional organisations, and affected institutions would be consulted on all aspects of the reform. “It should be noted that the (present) standard ter-! tiary bursary will continue! for the time taken to introduce a reformed bursary, although this is bound to be unsatisfactory in that there may well be three different types of bursary in the years 1975, 1976, and 1977,” Mr Muldoon said. “Unfortunately, because of the manner in which this! has been handled by the present Government, there appears to be no alternative.” PROPOSALS “VAGUE” The education vice-presi-dent of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (Ms S. Green) and the secretary of the Student Teachers’ Association (Mr M. Peck) said that the National Party bursary' propo-

sals were vague and nebulous.

“In an election year they are a classic example of opportunist thinking which if carried out will put the bursary system in chaos,” Ms Green said.

The new procedures announced today by the Minister of Education (Mr Amos) on the standard bursary would help to clarify some of the confusion about the system, but they might “cream off” the most able sixth-form pupils to universities, she said, SIXTH-FORM PAYMENTS Mr Amos said that the Government had approved the making of some sixthform pupils eligible for the standard tertiary bursary under certain conditions. “The bursary will now be available to pupils with University Entrance who have an aggregate of 12 or less in their Sixth-Form Certificate, and to those with University Entrance who have left school and spent two years iat work. There is also a provision for awarding a bursary because of hardship.”

Mr Amos said that, the Government intended to open options for pupils who appeared to have academic and personal maturity for success as first-year university students. SEVENTH FORM “The new policy will remove the bursary inequality [under which able sixthI form pupils have suffered in the past. It will do this without endangering the future of the seventh form, and without subjecting the pupil who is eligible to the risk of losing the bursary through failure in the first year at university.” The Government did not I want to undermine the seventh form, and he did not expect all pupils to take up the option at the end of the sixth form. Mr Amos said that he expected principals and their staffs to counsel pupils on the desirability of leaving secondary' school for university, or returning for a sev-enth-form year.

He expected about 25 per cent of sixth formers to become eligible for a bursary.