ALLEGED EXCESSIVE TEACHERS5 FEES.

Grey River Argus, 31 October 1910, Page 6

ALLEGED EXCESSIVE TEACHERS 5 FEES.

(By Telegraph — Per Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Oct 29

Replying to the Rev Fras-er's statements published in the Dunedin Star, that pupil teachers who are drawing ■smalL salaries • pay excessive fees for their necessary ( qualifying examinations ; the pupil teachers are compelled to. sit for civil service examina- | tion for which they are charged an exorbitant fee, and that the department took £4000 for the students' ex- I animations. The Hon Mr Buddo gives the facts briefly as follows : — The Department holds the .examinations from November to January. In November, December and January last there 1 were over 7000 candidates for thes c examinations, of whom 6,508 actually sat. Of these 2214 were candidates for the junior national and Education Board junior scholarship and free p'.hces. Formerly the boards held their/ own separate examinations, paying expenses out of their own funds. , Now the Department holds a general examination <of scholarships and pays"" the expenses, neither the boards nor the candidates being charged. The last time 2,369 sat for the civil service, junior education board, senior scholarships, free places for pjapil teachers these being in- two grades competitive and non-competitive. The candidates for the senior free places, pupil teachers taking the latter, for which no fee was charged nor a fee for the education board senior scholarships, the only candidates paying being those for entrance to, the public service, who pay one pound. No pupil teacher need pay a fee unless he chooses to be a candidate for entrance to the public service. The candidates for probafionership can qualify by passing the . intermediate examination, for which there is 1 no fee ; Candidates desiring entrance to a training college must matriculate or obtain a partial certificate. The fee for the former is two guineas, payable to the New Zealand University. The fee for the latter is one pound, this being insufficient to cover the cost of examination. . The last series of examinations are for the D.C.B certificate and civil service senior. For the former 1675 entered and 1,---582 sat, many taking both CD. papars and pacing fees. Botiji ttotiaT. fees by 1675 candidates was £1658 -2s 6d, not ;£4OOO as Mr Fraser stated. It "is the' head teacher's duty to give suitable and regular instruction .+o pupil teachers and probationers.