NATIONAL BURSARIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 February 1937, Page 5

NATIONAL BURSARIES

NEW REGULATIONS.

[FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, February 25. In a statement issued to-day the Minister for Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, /the introduction of a number of important alterations in the system of awarding University National bursarips for 1937, and following yedrs. The general effect of the new regulations is to provide for the ayrard of bursaries on a, much more generous scale than during the last four years and also to make provision for granting boarding allowances on certain grounds, chiefly those of distance from a university college or hardship. The new regulations provide for two kinds of national bursaries, ordinary and boarding. The .ordinary bursary will entitle the holder to free university tuition an an approved course of study up to a maximupi of £2O a year, and the boarding bursary entitles the holder to an annual boarding allowance of up to a maximum of £3O in addition to the payment of tuition fees not exceeding £2O annually. The currency of the bursary is to be three years, but provision has been made for an extension in certain circumstances. For a medical student the normal term of the bursary will be four years. Ordinary bursaries may be awarded to holders of higher leaving certificates, and boarding bursaries may be awarded to applicants selected in order pf merit on the results of the university entrance scholarship examination. There will be no limit to the number of ordinary bursaries awarded in any one year, but the regulations provide for a total of 65 boarding bursaries annually. Forty of these will be awarded to students obliged to live away from home, and the remainder to students in university centres who are in need of monetary assistance to enable them to continue their studies. This year applications for ordinary bursaries will be accepted from all holders of higher leaving certificates whether awarded during 1936 or not, and applications for boarding bursaries may be similarly made this year by all qualified by examination during any one of the last five years. MAORI SCHOLARSHIPS.

Approval of a substantial increase in the number of junior scholarships available to Maori boys and girls attending native schools was signified by the Minister. A total of 174 of these scholarships are now available, this being an increase of 38. Junior scholarships will be tenable for two yeais at approved post-primary schools catering for the education of the Maori. In the case of “other than native schools scholarships, which are available to Maori pupils attending public or private schools, the number has been increased from eight to 15 a year. As the'se scholarships are tenable for two years the actual increase in the number of “other than native” schools scholarships available is 14. Agricultural scholarships tenable for two years have been increased from four to 10, and similar facilities for special training of girls in the form of nursing scholarships have been approved by the Minister. Provision is beingmade for the award of five nursing scholarships annually. The Minister also approved ot the award of 35 continuation scholarships tenable for two years by Maori pupils who satisfactorily complete a two-year post-primary k course. This makes it possible for Maori pupils, especially in remote districts, to receive educaton from primary school to university.

EXTENSION OF FREE PLACES

WELLINGTON, February 25.

A number of important decisions concerning the grading of post-primary schools and frpe places in the schools were revealed by the Minister' for Education, the-Hon. P. Fraser,, in an interview to-day. Usually the grading of secondary, technical, and combined schools, secondary departments, district high sclipols, ppd intermediate schools and departments is. determined by roll niipibers on March 1, but this ypar March 15 pull be substituted for the usual date except in the case of schpgls opeping later than March 1, these beipg graded 14 days after the respective opeping dates. In case the grading of schools is. affected adversely through the pupils finding positions beepuse of the delay in opening such schools, no general relaxation of the staffing regulations will be made, each case being considered on its merits. it hps been decided to continue the concessions that'have been granted to foe-paying pupils, in all types of Government post-primary schools. . Approval is also given for the extension of junior free places for an additional year in the case of those pupils who failed to secure senior free places in 1936, and also for the extension of senior free places beyond the end of the year, in which the holders attain the age, of 19 years provided in both cases that the parents are unable to provide the necessary fee for tuition of the child after the expiry of the free place.