Bursaries for Country School Children

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 208, 2 September 1943, Page 3

Bursaries for Country School Children

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 31. The Minister of Education (Hon. H. G. IE Mason) stated to-day that a sum had been placed on the Supplementary Estimates to provide for a new system of bursaries to assist country children, who have passed the school certiiicatu 1 examination, to spend one or two years in the sixth form of a post-primary school. Jt had to be realised that the smaller district high school with a staff of only one or two, or at most five or six teachers, could not provide the same instruction in advanced subjects for sixth form pupils that was “available in largo post-primary schools. The problem of the country child would be accentuated next year with the introduction of accrediting for entrance to a university. It was un- • likely that every district high school would be placed on the list of schools ■ approved for accrediting by a univeri sitv 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 l 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 Etatc secondary, technical, - combined or district high school on the . list of schools approved for accrediting. ! Not only would this be of great help to prospective university entrants from

country districts, but it would also free smaller district high schools to devote more attention to the needs of the remaining country children who did not intend to go on to the universitv. “Regulations,” said Mr. Mason, “are at present being drafted to bring the new system of bursaries into operation in 1944, and as soon as they arej 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 lot their children.”