FORESTRY SCHOOL CLOSING

Evening Star, Issue 21710, 3 May 1934, Page 15

FORESTRY SCHOOL CLOSING

HO JUSTIFICATION FOR CONTINUANCE [Fra Umitbd Fuse A«iociation.) WELLINGTON, May 2. “ If the school were continued it would mean that the cost per student to the taxpayer would be about £l2O per annum over and above the fees paid,” remarked the Minister of Education (Mr Masters) when invited this evening to comment on the recent announcement regarding the closing of the School of Forestry at Canterbury College. Mr Masters pointed out that it had been necessary for the Government to provide considerable additional financial assistance to Canterbury College to enable it to continue its ordinary functions. Canterbury College,” said Mr Masters, “ has suffered a loss of nearly £6,000 per annum from the fall in rents from endowments during the depression, and, as a result, it has been necessary to increase the Government grant for arts and genera! purposes. The Government grant of £I,OOO per annum to the School of Forestry was withdrawn from April 1, 1932. The loss to the college on the school in 1932 was £653, and the loss last year was £766. The estimated loss in 1934 is £959, and by the end of this year the estimated deficit in the School of Forestry account will be over £3jooo. In 1931 there were twenty-six forestry students. In 1932 ■ the number had fallen to fifteen, in 1933 to nine, and for the first term this year only eight students are in attendance, two of whom are first-year students. If fhe school were continued it would mean

that the cost pef student to the taxpayer would be about £l2O per annum over and above fees paid by the student. It has to be remembered also that there is a surplus of foresters in J'few Zealand, and a number of exstudents of the School of Forestry cam not obtain professional work and are employed in a number of cases as forest labourers. There is, therefore, no justification for the continuance of the school'at the present time.”