EDUCATION SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 82, 4 October 1944, Page 4

EDUCATION SERVICE

MEMBERS OF THE FORCES

A tribute to the part played by'the Minister of Education (Mr. Mason) and his officers in assisting the forces' educational service, was paid by the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones) in the House of Representatives last evening during consideration of. the Education Department Estimates.

Mr. Jones said he wished to thank the officer in charge of the Country Library Service (Mr.'.G. T. Alley) for the work he did in providing library services for the Army, Air Force, and Navy. As far as the Army Education and Welfare Service was concerned that organisation could not have been brought up to its present standard but for the co-operation of Mr. Mason and the officers of his Department. Tifere was now a large number of classes for troops of the Second Division in Italy. Those taking .the commerce class numbered 582, arts and miscellaneous 125, engineering and technology 779, and agriculture 609. Those were all. correspondence classes. An endeavour was being made to do the same thing for prisoners. of war, and provision would be made for them in Britain when they were released. If they could be encouraged to take courses to fit them for rehabilitation in New Zealand that would be well worth while. King's College, Cambridge, had granted five scholarships to five New Zealanders for three years, and no 'doubt many universities in Britain and the colonies would be only too pleased to assist certain personnel to improve their education.