Pet-shop man proves late start no bar to scholarship

Press, 12 February 1982, Page 13

Pet-shop man proves late start no bar to scholarship

ERIC BEARDSLEY,

information officer,

Canterbury University

Geoff Pearce, a late starter in higher education since failing School Certificate 20 years ago. has won an unusual distinction at the University of Canterbury — he is the first winner of a senior scholarship to begin his university career with a certificate in Liberal Studies. For some 30 senior scholarships are awarded each year to students with outstanding grades and they normally go to men and women who have enjoyed considerable academic success throughout their education.

But Mr Pearce, aged 35 and married with two children, is an exception to this rule. Bored with Linwood High School in the early 19605. he left with no academic qualification, but was able in those more palmy days to find a job readily. It was cadetship in New Zealand Railways and in a short time he found himself in charge of the railway station at Waikari.

His girl friend, now his wife. Heather, was training as a kindergarten teacher in Auckland and he hung up his stationmaster's cap to join the drift to the north Again, jobs were easy to find and he worked as a commercial artist, and then as screen printer in Auckland. When his wife graduated they moved to Christchurch.

However, the screen printing firm with which he found work went bankrupt.. Four employees formed a cooperative firm. Nova Print, which is still in operation though it has been taken over. Mr Pearce established a pet shop specialising in tropical fish.

Two things happened at the pet shop which stimulated his interest in university work. One was the num-

ber of students who came in and talked with him about all sorts of things, but especially about politics. Second, a West Coaster with a pet.shop also came in to talk and told him about being a foster parent in a Social Welfare Department house. Mr and Mrs Pearce also applied to become foster parents and in due course they. too. were put in charge of one of the department's houses. "I found in working with children that I was sometimes out of my. depth and could not discuss some of the questions they asked with anv sort of authority." Mr

Pearce said. "The outcome was that I decided I might become a teacher.” But the Education Board was not interested in someone with no educational qualifications. It suggested that Mr Pearce either sit the university entrance examination or gain some points towards a degree. Mr Pearce found, however, that he was not entitled to enrol in a degree course simply because he was applying as a mature (over-21) student at the university. But he was able to enrol In the liberal studies course, which has proved extremely popular since its establishment

seven years ago. Il is designed to provide an opportunity for older people with no academic experience to deepen their personal experience by a period of study in a diverse range of topics. “There were two routes to teachers' college — through a secondary school or through university, and I chose the latter because the work was more varied and attractive and the Liberal Studies Certificate would give me access to a degree programme.” Mr Pearce says. "The certificate would provide 18 points towards the 108 required for a degree.

Those 18 points seemed to me to be a higher form of educational qualification and so my acceptance for teaching would be enhanced." Mr Pearce took sociology, education, philosophy, and religious studies at first-year level in the certificate course and revelled in the work. The teaching, he says, was incredibly good and opened all sorts of doors for further study. In fact, the only disadvantage was that because most of the students were parttime. they did not stay around for discussions but disappeared into the library or went home as soon as

lectures or tutorials were finished. Passing the course gave him the required qualification and when he began teacher training he also studied philosophy and sociology part time at university. His' request to postpone the rest of his training was granted and for the last two years he has studied full time and has qualified for a bachelor's degree. “I've got to admit that at first I hated university life as a full-time student, but that was only for the first three weeks,” Mr Pearce says. "I was so much older than the students. I was still apprehensive about whether my mind could retain facts well, and I felt absolutely alone. "But I began to come across some of the students I had seen at the pet shop: I mixed with others and soon had numerous friends. I found my memory was as good as ever and I think I could apply my knowledge more easily than younger students. "Also. I had been used to working an eight-hour day and organising my time carfully and this stood me in good stead. My experience of life outside the university was important.” Mr Pearce is pleased at his election as a senior scholar because it will lighten the financial burden his wife has been carrying and help him complete a master's degree. And after that? “I'd love to do a Ph. D.. in sociology, preferably enrolling as a doctoral candidate at an overseas university." he says. "This will depend in large part on how much we can save. Most scholarships apply only to candidates under 35 years."