DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6757, 14 July 1883, Page 6

DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Without goiDg into the whole question of scholarships, and the expediency or otherwise of fresh legislation on the subject, I should like, with your permission, to touch upon two points contained in your leading article of Tuesday last. In that article you state that the limit of age at which boys are allowed to compete for scholarships is seventeen ; you then propose that no boy should be allowed to compete above the age of fourteen. If you will refer to the regulations for district scholarships for ISS3, you will find that nothing whatever is mentioned , respecting the age of candidates. These regulations provide—l. That twelve district scholarships will be opened for competition. 2. That the competition will be open to any pupils lawfully attending any school, established or constituted under the provisions of the Education Act, 1877, and subjest to the control and management of the Board. In a foot note to the printed regulations attention is called to section 83 of the Act. Pupils lawfully attending school are—(l) children of school age, five to fifteen; (2) children over school age, who have obtained the special leave of the District School Committee to attend ; (3) children attending a district high school. In answer to your second proposal, viz., "That no boy should be allowed to compete above the age of fourteen," clause 51 of the Education Act prevents that being carried into effect. According to the written opinion of Mr. Whitaker (a copy of which is enclosed) the meaning of that clause is that any child lawfully attending a public school can compete for a scholarship. Therefore if the Board of Education fixed the maximum age of candidates for scholarships at fourteen, it would be acting illegally.—l am, &c., Samuel Luke. Otahuhu, July 12.