EDUCATION CHANGES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1430, 3 May 1912, Page 4

EDUCATION CHANGES.

NEW MINISTRY'S INTENTIONS. (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.! Mastertin, May 2. Tha Hon. .T. A. Banan, Minister for Education, opened iho assembly hall of the Masterton District High School today. He was accompanied by !ho Hon. Te Rangihiroa, Minister in charge of Maori Councils. Addresses of welcome having l;6en given, Mr. Hanan spoke at considerable length on the education question. He .stated that public opinion on this question must precede legislation. In reference to tha University, Mr. Hanan said that the new Ministry had decided to extend the principle of free university education by opening the door to university bursaries somewhat more widely. Hitherto such bursaries had been tenable only by Uiok> who gained credit ill the University Junior Scholarship examination, although they had not obtained scholarships. It was now proposed that university bursaries carrying free university education should 1m open to ail who had completed satisfactorily a four years' secondary course. In addition, pupil teachers and probationers who are now eligible for admission to a training college may elect to take a bursary bet'ors entering n training collcge, and so may be enabled to fake a degree" and afterwards spend a year at a training college to complete their professional training. Referring to the work of' (ho technical schools, the Minister stated that we must endeavour to educate public opinion in order to ensure that boys and girls, afte'r the age of fourteen, should attend' continuation classes until they had reached the age of eighteen. He felt that in many cases there was a period of idleness, winch was not in the interest of those concerned. Mr. Hanan also outlined n scheme which had been adopted by the Government, providing for the medical inspection of school children. Ha also urged the importance of education to equip children for various walks in life, laying emphasis on tho agricultural course. i Tho Hon. Te Rangihiroa spolto of tho advantage of education to tho Maori race.