Institute critics 111-informed’

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34103, 16 March 1976, Page 10

Institute critics 111-informed’

Zealand Press Association*

WELLINGTON

The Christchcurch Technical Institute council’s reported opposition to the centralisation of technical institute advanced national courses at the Central Institute of Technology in Wellington has been described as ill-informed.

The criticism came from the the principal of the C.I.T. (Mr J. A. Bateman), who is also president of the Technical Institutes Association. Mr Bateman was commenting on a meeting held by the Christchurch Technical Institute this week which decided to express its concern to the Education Department and to members of Parliament at an apparent insistence by the department on students attending the central institute when tutors and equipment were available for advanced courses at most of the other 13 institutes in the country. Many students, the council said, were being deprived of courses which could be offered at their local institutes because ‘ of what seemed to be a convenient excuse for filling the 500-bed hostel at the central institute. Mr Bateman said the Christchurch institute appeared unaware both of the principles governing the nature and function of the central institute, and of the reasons why it was being provided with new 500-bed halls of residence. “The institute has : developed strictly in line I with policy — originally 'determined in 1956, and confirmed by successive governments — based on strong and

valid economic considerations.

“The policy, stated simply, is that as studies become more advanced they should be provided by fewer and fewer institutions and ultimately by one institution only in the geographical centre of the country.”

Mr Bateman said the philosophy, called “diminishing availability,” stemmed from a realisation that the higher a level of study the few'er students there will be to undertake it, the more difficult it will be to obtain specialist staff and generally the more expensive equipment and other facilities including accommodation will become. The director of the Christchurch Technical Institute (Mr J. D. A. Hercus) said yesterday that the Christchurch Technical Institute 1 Council was not attacking the concept of the centra! institute but the manner in which centralised courses had been introduced, which appeared to be hard on a number of students.

Chess.—The world champion, Anatoly Karpov, had no difficulty in beating Jancev, of Yugoslavia, in the eleventh round of an international chess tournament in Skopje, Yugoslavia. With some precise play in the Nimcovie Indian defence game. Karpm took advantage in the early stages.