TRAINING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

Evening Star, Issue 22031, 17 May 1935, Page 8

TRAINING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

WITHDRAWAL OF LMCiNG ALLOWANCE EXPEMITURE ON LOANS Admission to the Teachers’ Training College is the subject of comment in the annual report of th* Otago Educa-. tion Board, which draws attention to the disproportionate burden placed on all students outside the Training College centres through the withdrawal of the lodging allowance of £3O per annum, and its replacement by a loan amounting to £BO for the two years. It is pointed out that had teachertraining facilities been reinstated in Dunedin provision for lodging loans and travelling expenses exceeding £I,OOO next year would have been rendered unnecessary. The report states:—* “ For the first time since -November, 1930, new trainees were sejected to ho* gin their training in 1933, The number of qualified applicants for admission as division A students was 89, while the Otago quota to be selected therefrom was 38. The number of applicants for admission as division C students (graduates) was eight, and tho quota three. . ■ “ This is the first time that trainees have not been required to serve as probationers in schools for one year before entering college. Teachers of experience regard this probationary year a» a most valuable year’s training. It i« possible that it is dispensed with on this occasion more for economical than for sound educational reasons. “ Reference has been made on several occasions to the disproportionate burden placed on ail students outside the Training College centres through the withdrawal of the lodging allowance of £3O per annum and its replacement by a loan amounting to £BO for the two years. A more equitable proposal as between students able to live at »home and those who require to board, and one, too, which would cost the country little more, would be to increase the bursary from £2O to £3O per annum, with an additional allowance of £3O per annum for those living away from home, all students to make a refund of not more than two-thirds of the bursary (£4O for the two years) so long as this was deemed necessary for financial reasons. . . . “ To fill the Otago quota of division A students, 15 men and 23 women were selected; towards the Wellington quota, two men and seven women: and under division C, one man and two women. Of these, 24 have their homes in Dunedin or vicinity, and had teacher-train-ing facilities been reinstated in Dunedin provision for loans and travelling expenses exceeding £I,OOO next rear would have been rendered unnecessary. In 1936 the expenditure in this direction for both first and second vear. students will exceed £2,000.”'.