FREE PLACES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1937, Page 8

FREE PLACES

—r^~ —. HELP FOR PARENTS

POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS

A statement on the grading of postprimary schools and the granting of free places was issued by the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) last night. 1 "Usually the grades of secondary, technical, and combined schools, of the secondary departments of district high schools, and of intermediate schools and departments are determined by the roll numbers on March 1," the Minister said. "This year, however, as most schools are reopening on that date it is quite unsuitable for de- ' termining the grade of the school, and it has been decided to substitute' March 15 for the usual date, except in the case of schools opening later than March I.' In" these-cases the grade of the school will be determined by the roll number on the fourteenth day after that on which the school reopens.

"It is possible that in some cases, owing to pupils finding'positions, the grade of a school may have been affected adversely by the delay in.the opening. No general relaxation of the staffing regulations will, however, be made but each case will be considered-on its merits, if, after March 15, application for favourable "consideration is made to the Department.

"It has been decided, too, to continue .the concessions that have been granted to fee-paying pupils in all types of Government post-primary schools for the past six years. "In view of the fact that a number of parents are not in a position to pay fees, approval has been given of the extension,of junior free places for an additional year in the case of those, pupils who failed to secure senior free places at the. end of 1936, and also of the extension of senior free places beyond the end of the year in which the holders attain the age of nineteen years, provided that in the case of both junior and senior free place extensions the parent of the pupil proves to the satisfaction of the Director of1 Education that he is unable to provide the necessary fees for the tuition of his child after the expiry of his free place. "Except under very special circumstances no consideration will be given to any application for the concession if it is not made within a month after the reopening of the school. Parents will be expected in the first instance to apply to the principal of the school."