TECHNICAL FREE PLACES

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 163, 28 March 1923, Page 11

TECHNICAL FREE PLACES

UNSUITABLE STUDENTS ALONE DISCOURAGED

The matter of free places ait- the Technical College was further ventilated at the meeting of the board on Monday night. The, subject, was introduced by a letter from the Minister of Education (Hon. C. J. Parr), who wrote: “In reply to your letter of Ist instant, I have to say that it appears .you have quite misunderstood the intention of the amendments recently made'in the free place regulations.” • The Department wished, through its senior inspectors, to prevent free places being granted to students who were not fitted for the special courses they wished to take up. After discussion it was decided to let the matter drop. The Director’s report stated: “The letter from the Minister of Education interpreting the new regulations for the admission of junior free pupils to technical high schools in a most liberal spirit is, very welcome, and removes the fears caused by , the very categorical instructions received from the Department regarding th© manner in which the regulations were to be carried out. It is nevertheless regrettable that the regulations relating to technical high schools should have been altered, for in their case, when the variety of pourses allows provision to be made for the vocational training of all pupils, the headmaster, in touch directly .with the parent and pupil, should have authority to determine the course without reference to the senior Inspector and the Department.”