FREE PLACE AWARDS

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 31 January 1933, Page 7

FREE PLACE AWARDS

BELAY IN ANNOUNCEMENT EXPLANATION BY DIRECTOR INCREASE OF CANDIDATES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. Some delay has been apparent this year in the announcement of senior free place .school awards, but this, it was explained to a reporter by the Director of Education. Mr. T. 13. Strong, to-day had been due to the exceptionally large number of candidates who this year were compelled to sit for examination. In previous years the practise had been to decide the senior free place awards on the recommendation of principals of the schools, but last year it was decided to require all candidates to sit for a qualifying examination set by the Department. No less than 9485 candidates entered of whom 8418 actually sat. In 1931 there were only 1165 candidates. The department’s examination branch had been working night and day, Sundays, included, to ensure that the results' would be available before the schools actually opened. As district high Schools open earlier than secondary and technical schools advance lists ’ were posted to the pals of' these schools before they were actually available for publication. Tlie usual 1 practise ’ had* been for the department to have' lists printed at the Government printing office and fqr the Press Association to receive copies of the lists before they were published ■in the “Gazette.” This year, in order :to save time, 'the department 'furnished the Press Association with typed lists, but it appeared that the Press Association was unable to deal with the publication of the lists in that form. It, 'therefore, had become necessary for th'e department'to prepare long alphabetical lists qf over 6000 names to be printed at the Government printing office and thereafter to be available for the use of the Press Association. “It is anticipated that the Press Association will have the lists in a day or two before the post primary schools open on Tuesday. The department re-o-fets verv much the delay in notifying ‘the results, but this is .entirely due to the causes- stated,” said Mr Strong.