INCREASE IN NEW ENROLMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 24680, 27 February 1942, Page 2

INCREASE IN NEW ENROLMENTS

SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE “In common with most post-primary schools, we have a slight increase in new enrolments, 153 boys and 149 girls, a total of 302, as compared with 289 in 1941, stated the principal of the Southland Technical College, Mr C. A. Stewart, in his report to the meeting of the Technical College Board last night. The school roll had decreased and now stood at 590. “A sudden, unexplained and apparently illogical decision of the department to withdraw or curtail certain well-established privileges of country pupils in the matter of travelling facilities has had its effect on our country enrolments, especially in the rural industrial course,” said the report. “This seems unfortunate in face of the department’s oft-expressed desire to build up such courses and to extend all possible facilities to country pupils. I have serious doubts whether the department’s action has had or will' have the effect apparently desired, namely, the building up of secondary departments in the district high schools.” The report stated that the usual small number of candidates from the school entered for the Public Service entrance, university entrance, school certificate and engineering preliminary examinations and all were successful.