NEW BURSARIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1943, Page 8

NEW BURSARIES

COUNTRY CHILDREN AIDED. WELLINGTON, August 31. The Minister of Education (Mr. Mason) said to-day that a sum had beeit placed on the supplementary estimates to provide for a new system rtf bufsaiTes to assist country children, who liave.passed the school certificate examination, to spend one or two years in the sixth form of a postprimary school. It had to be realised that a smaller district high school with a staff of only one or two, or at most live or six teachers, could not provide the same instruction in advanced subjects for sixth form pupils as was available in large postprimary schools. The problem of the country child Wduld be accentuated next year with the introduction of accrediting for entrance to the university. It was unlikely that every district high school would be placed on the list of schools approved for accrediting by the university, and the new university entrance examination, to be taken by pupils not accredited, would be at a higher standard than the present examination, although in only three subjects. “The new bursaries, which will be of an annual value of £4O, .are planned to meet this situation by enabling country pupils to have all the advantages of a one or two years’ course in the sixth form of any State secondary, technical, combined or district high school on the list of schools approved for accrediting,” said the. Minister. Not only would this be of great help to prospective university entrants from country districts, but would also tree smaller district high schools to devote more attention to the needs oi the remaining country children who did not intend to go on to the university. “Regulations,” said Mr. Mason, are at present being drafted to bring the new system of bursaries into operation in 1944, unci us soon us they uic gazetted a further public statement will be made setting out the exact conditions under which bursaries will be granted, and telling country parents what steps to take to secure them for their children.