TRAINING COLLEGE PROBATIONERS

Otago Witness, Issue 4057, 15 December 1931, Page 26

TRAINING COLLEGE PROBATIONERS

LIMITATION OF ENTRANTS BOARD'S STRONG OBJECTION. Strong exception to the Education De* partment’e decision to reduce the num* ber of probationers entering the Train* ing College to 46 waS taken by members' of the Otago Education Board at it® monthly meeting on Friday. The chair* man (Mr J. Wallace) said that after the elimination by examination there would still be a number —say 10 —of the re* mainder left, and he did not know how they were going to handle the positions seeing that they would not all be allowed to enter..

Mr J. Horn said that he thought they should make a fight to allow the student® to be carried on without payment. The chairman: I think I told Mr Forbes that we are badly in need of abusiness man at the head of affaire. When an employer engages an appren* tice the duty is cast upon him of seeing that the apprentice completes his appren* ticeship. These young people have been led to believe that when they started they would be allowed to complete their course.

A member stated that no guarantee had been given and the students were not under the protection of the court. Mr Wallace: You have hit it. It is an economy stunt. “ Those who have to determine who are to be -debarred will have a very unpleasant task to discharge,” declared Mr J. H. Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson added that the position was a disgraceful one, and a great injustice was being done. Had these students not been accepted a year ago they would have been able, most likely, ■to take Either positions which would not now be open to them. He did not think they should allow it to pass without making a strong protest. He did not see why the State should fail to carry out its obligations in the eamo way that every business man had to as far as apprentices were concerned, and they should urge that those not admitted this year should have an opportunity next rear. These were pupils they had already admitted to the college because of their special qualifications. . Mr Wallace said that when the department laid down its embargo against these ’students being employed at any other time he had objected strongly. “That is where I support you,” declared Mr Wilkinson. “They should have preference over any new students entering. They are entitled to the first consideration.” Mr W. N. Cooper: In any case quite a few will be disappointed. " 1 don’t know how many will fail in the examination,” said the chairman, “ but in any case at least two will bo turned down even if they pass."’ Mr Horn said that he thought the department should lie advised of the feeling of the board and be asked to reconsider the position. Mr Wallace: An unfair discrimination has to be exercised somewhere among those who pass. The board should point out to the department that it considers it an immoral act to debar those who qualify from the profession for all time. It was decided to protest to the department and to send a copy of the protest to the Prime Minister.