MR FORCE TRAINEES

Evening Star, Issue 23496, 9 February 1940, Page 12

MR FORCE TRAINEES

SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES . MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS (Put United Press Association.] .WELLINGTON, February 9. The special classes in mathematics and elementary physics for Air Force trainees were now being established throughout the Dominion, and 708 men were enrolled, said the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) in an interview this evening. Of these, 419 would attend classes in'one of the following towns;— Auckland (five classes), Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington (three classes), Christchurch (two classes), Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. The remainder, 289, would be given instruction in the same course of work by correspondence. Of the total, 485 were men whose educational standard in mathematics and elementary physics -was. at present somewhat .below that required for pilots, but the instruction Ibeiug given:would enable these men to reach the required standard. The Minister said he regarded the correspondence work as a substitute only, hut not a complete substitute for class instruction, and those men doing correspondence courses were therefore being encouraged to attend the special classes on one evening a week if they were near enough to those towns in which special classes had been established to make such attendance possible. He hoped also to be able to make arrangements for a large number of others to attend ordinary evening classes in mathematics in the centres in which there were not sufficient candidates offering to fender the establishment of a special class economic. All the classes, except those in Auckland and Hamilton, and all the correspondence work, began on Monday, January 29. In Auckland and Hamilton, however, the holiday on Anniversary Day made it necessary to commence instruction On January 30. _ The Minister said that Mr n. Caradus director, of educational services, had’made all the necessary preliminary arrangements, both for the establishment of the special classes and for the correspondence work. The first assignment of work in connection with the correspondence instruction had already, been sent out. ■