REDUCED BURSARIES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 67, 20 March 1931, Page 8

REDUCED BURSARIES

STUDENTS COMPLAIN

QUESTION OF FINANCE

The hardship suffered by University; students through the cutting down ot the higher leaving, certificate bursaries from free fees up to £20 to half fee* up to £10 was placed before the Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. G. W. Forbes) and the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. Atmore) by.a deputation from the University College Students' Association to-day. ■■ The president of the association, Mr. W. P. Boilings, said that their deputation was supported by all the other university colleges. They were not immune from the general realisation. that both public and private expenditure baa to be drastically reduced, but they felt that the reduction of expenditure was being visited in unduly heavy; proportion on certain classes of people. Education was one of the most important functions the modern state ' had undertaken, and it was open to question whether in the most stringent financial circles it was in the long run _ a real economy to .spend less on education. It seemed that the classes of the community least able to bear the burden of taxation had been called upon to bear most. The persons already affected .by the bursary reductions' had already suffered or would suffer (if the Government's proposals became law) froM the reduction in expenditure in other directions. Furthermore, the belated announcement of the reduction in. bursaries had caused severe and unnecessary hardship. It was suggested that the Government, instead of paying half the bursary up to £20, should pay fees up to £10. , Mr. W. .1. Mount joy stressed the fact that the announcement had come after the students had arranged their course* and made arrangements for tho purchase of their text books, which bad been raised in price by the booksellers. Mr. J. L. M'Duft' said that the policy of reducing the bursaries amounted to a breach of contract. , The Education Department guaranteed to pay fees up to £20 for all holders of higher leaving certificates, and students had stayed for, another year at the secondary schools to .become qualified for the bursary. It the contract were not" a legal one it was certainly a moral one, and should not be repudiated. The Minister of Education said theio was nothing to substantiate tho allegation of repudiation. The higher leaving certificate entitled the holder to fees at the University up to a certain amount, and the Department had the right to fix that amount at any time. Thqre had been no delay in the announcement, which had been made as soon as the recommendations of the Economy Committee had become known. If a student were unable to pay the fee for the full course lie could take two subjects only; in fact, many failures had been due ..to students taking too many subjects. "I am very pleased the word 'repudiation' has been cleared up," sai<3 the Prime Minister, who added that re was desirable that students -should sot an example in the correct use of terms. Tho Government desired to continue paying bursaries, but it was all a question of money. In 1902 £800 had been spent in bursaries, and last year the total amount was £17,600. This was all right in prosperous times, but if they allowed tho burden to continue during depression it would sink the country. The Dominion was passing through one of the greatest crises in. its history. ■ Even in tho summer time there were 30,000 men out of employment, and the Government could not find the money to provide work for all these men. Over £4,500,000 was being spent on education, and in addition to that there were, a great number of social services provided by tho State. It had been said that many 'of tha students were suffering from loss of income. The farmer had dropped GO Tier cent, in his income, and many of them had had to take their children, away from the schools. He would be pleased; to look into cases of special hardship. __—_—