QUESTION OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2515, 17 July 1915, Page 15

QUESTION OF SCHOLARSHIPS

4 : POSITION OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS. Mr. W. v\V, Rowntree raised, a question of importance to country schools at tho annual committee of the New Zealand Educational Institute. Speaking on the subject of scholarships, lie saidThe Education Act of 1914 makes a radical change in. the manner of allotscholarships. In' the first place the scholarships are open to tho wholo Dominion, and it will be possible for all tho scholarships to be gained by two or thrco districts to the exclusion of tho remaining districts. This is, _in the eyes of the teachers, a great evil, for it leads to the comparison of district with district, which is most probably very unjust. This comparison leads to competition, tho competition to coaching and cramming. This is, of course, a tax on the teacher, and-most injurious to the child. Again, tlie. Act places children, town and country, on the same footing, but it does not en'suro that the country child shall be taught as efficiently as the town child. Certainly tho regulations, which havo been framed governing scholarships, have attempted to mitigate this great hardship imposed on tho country child by providing that 5 per cent, of the total marks assignable iii the examination 'may he added to tho marks of children from one teacher schools. A close scrutiny of the results of scholarship .marks for the last four years in the Wellington district -reveals'v the startling fact the pupils .of' schools'-with. an--average attendance of from 36 to 200 would lose a largo proportion of their scholarships, j while the schools below, 36 in average attendance would ' also suffer very much". The following figures show the difference that would have been made in the Wellington district had the present regulations been ill' ■■ force sinco 1910::— Class A school has over'2oo in average attendance. Class B school has over 35 and under 201 in average.attendance.. Class C school has-undo? 36 ui averago attendance. Scholarships Scholarships that would Grade of gained have been gained school, under old Act. under new Act. A 18 24 • B8 4 1 O 4 2 1912. . 'A' IS 26 . B '■> 11 6 •C: 6 3 1913. A' , ■ 30 40 • B 14 4 C 3 3 1914. ' A 13 20 B 14 ' 7 |. 2 2 : OTAGO,I9I4i 'A' 13 19 I.; B '5 1 ' O 3 1 TARANAJQ, 1914. ' r A' 9 '12 B 5 2 O0 , - - The conference passed the following motion: —"That this institute protests strongly against the regulation for scholarships recently issued, inasmuch as they will in all probability place the country child under a great disadvantage." ' It was resolved, also: "That the time has arrived when all junior national and education board junior scholarships should be abolished, and tho money 'so saved should he spent in paying the lodging expenses of those children deserving who require to live away from home in order to attend'a secondary school."' It was considered that 'schools _ for this purpose should be divided into three grades; over 200 pupils, over 36 and up to 200, and those'', under 36.