SOLDIER STUDENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24423, 5 November 1942, Page 2

SOLDIER STUDENTS

PRISONEBS OF WAS f COURSES AND EXAMINATIONS Correspondence courses primarily intended for use by the armed forces in New Zealand could be made suitable in many branches of study for prisoners ijW of war," stated Mr. I. F. McKenzie, registrar of the University of New Zealand, in a discussion.of the scheme yes- 4 tcrday. The university has already made contact with some New Zeaiand prisoners ■§§ through relatives or the education section of the Red Cross and St. John war organisation and students may sit. the examinations, without payment of fee. under special conditions controlled by the Red Cross, said 31 r. McKenzie. Some papers .may ha\ e to be sent to the Dominion to be marked; the others will go to London, which has become the centre of similar activities of all British universities. Naturally, only courses that c-aij be done froiu'text-books can be examined and the lied Cro ; s hai undertaken to ;] sappiv books whenever they are available, 31 r. McKenzie continued. Subjects requiring a practical qualification cannot be examined, so medical, dental and engineering studies are ruled out, as «fj a!-o in great part are those lor the degr.-c oi 13.Sc. and allied courses. Arts, M

I most of the riece-isarv work in the law } and commerce faculties, music and ac- ' countancv present no barriers to a 'student in captivity and there is a very wide range of specialised study, especially in languages, to which the men can devote their energies. The University or London has alwayi been an examining, rather than a teaching, body and thousands of students of other universities have been allowed to sit its examinations. The p ; standards set are high and the question has been asked in Auckland i whether it would be desirable, as ceri tainlv it would be practicable, for all academic colleges to agree to a universal standard of scholarship by which papers could be marked. An alternative j scheme would be. to pursue their studies • to any desired stage and to defer final j examinations until alter the war. ! It is suggested that for each New : Zealand university college to forward i its own tests for stage 1 would cause j confusion and create problems not i easilv to be solved, and that_ to work ! from' England from the beginning would i be preferable. " 1