FREE PLACES EXCLUSION OF PUPILS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 5, 28 February 1913, Page 7

FREE PLACES EXCLUSION OF PUPILS

DISCUSSION AT BOARD OF GOVERNORS. The facb that a considerable number of pupik entitled to free places have been unable to secure entrance to the Girls' College was discuesed at considerable length at the meeting of the Board of Governors 10-day. Mr. Barber raised the question, by asking if it was not a fact that some schools obtained an advantage , over other schools by getting their pupils enrolled. The Chairman (Mr. A. do B. Brandon) : Wo haye no knowledge of anything of the kind. Mr. Barber s It k stated in the press. The Secretary (Mr. C. P. Powles) : We don't know what school they comefrom. A parent comes along, and we ■take down the name, Irrespective of the school. Mr. Barber : It is stated that the pupils of one school were enrolled in a body. I think it is a very important question, and I should like to know hoAV many pupils iu'-e in the Girl*' High School who are not qualified to the same extent ac those who have secured pro^ ficiency certificates. The Chairman •. I couldn't tell you off hand. , ' Mr. Barber said a case had been brought under his notice by a lady from Upper Hutt of & girl who obtained the ■ highest marks of any pupil ifa the district, and yet was excluded from the school. Probably her place was taken by children who were receiving primary education. The Chairman said he thought they should first ascertain the, facts. He suggested 4hat the discussion on the subject should take place in committee. His reason was that the board i had not yet come to any conclusion on the subject, and the discussion would be necessarily onesided. There were two sides to the question, and it Was possible that on one side on the other statements might be exaggerated. The bdard should be given credit for arriving at its decision fairly and straightforwardly, and if tho conclusion of the board was going to be criticised because of an abbreviated report which had appeared in the press, the board would be very unfairly treated. He thought it was inadvisable that a discussion on a question of internal management should be taken in public. On such a question the board should give its resolution to the public, and leave them to form their judgment on the general question. Mr. Barber urged that the question shouh? be discussed in public. It wafl a matter of very great public interest. According to the law, any child who qualified was entitled to free higher education, at the cost of the State, and every effort should be made to see that the child got that education to which he or she was entitled. He thought it was decidedly wrong that fifty or sixty, who had qualified for free places, should be excluded from the college. Mr. Lee said it was not only the duty of the board to set itself right with the public, but it had nothing to fear from criticism. The Chairman said he had no objection whatever to criticism of the decisions of tile board, but he did think that the preliminary discussion should be among themselves. In the course of carrying out the regulations of the Government and the Board of Governors in respect to the admission of free-place pupils, a certain number had been admitted and a certain number had been excluded. One did not know to what extent tho officials of the echool had been concerned in the admission or rejection. After further discussion, the board decided to take the matter in committee. The board subsequently discussed the matter in committee, and then adjourned further debate until Friday next.