COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

Southland Times, Issue 17060, 5 June 1912, Page 5

COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

alteration to system. INSPECTOR-GENERAL’S VIEWS. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 4. Objections to the competitive system of awarding scholarships tenable at secondary schools were described ’ by the Inspector-General of Schools (Mr G. Hogben) at to-day’s sitting of the Education Commission. Mr Hogben said that the number of scholarships held in 1010 was 5G3, of which 172 were of the value of £2O and upwards. Ho was not convinced that it was necessary to give scholarships to town children beyond an allowance sufficient to furnish books and to cover similar expenses. The money set free by this means might be used to increase the number of scholarships for country children. The necessity of giving scholarships was alleviated by the fact that all those qualified for scholarships could obtain free places. “I should like to abolish the competitive system of awarding scholarships,” said Mr Hogben. Ho said that the element of competition had an unhealthy effect upon some teachers and upon a good many parents and children, and there was undoubtedly a certain amount of hardship in the fact that some children failed to win scholarships through the accidents of examination, or because their best qualities were not tested in the examination, while others, having received special coaching or having special aptitude for examination work, were successful. The awarding of scholarships should depend solely on the -question whether the scholars had reached the standard which the Slate had fixed for further work in secondary schools. The object which, ho assumed, should bo In view was to give country children opportunities equal to those afforded to town children, and that could bo done by awarding 60 or 70 more scholarships, costing £4BOO per annum. The additional expenditure could bo reduced by half. If the town scholarships were reduced In the manner lie suggested the expenditure on scholarships would he about £12.000. instead of £O2OO. Mr Hogben addod that a good many town parents had to make some sacrifices to keep their children at secondary schools, as they lost the wages which their children would possibly earn; hut he did not think the State should sanction any sacrifice of the children in order to enable the rest of the family to maintain themselves more comfortably. Country children at lending town schools .should he accommodated at either boardinghouses attached to the schools or til licensed boardinghouses in which they would have facilities for evening work and where they would bo under some supervision.