UNIVERSITY COMMISSION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 20 July 1925, Page 13

UNIVERSITY COMMISSION.

SITTING AT DUNEDIN. v w Teleerarh —Frew AsuoclaMon. DUNEDIN, July 18. The University Commission resumed This moriSflg. ' „ it _ . . Dr. Rickerill, Director of the Dental School stated that he estimated that New Zealand’s requirements at present at 20 to 25 dental graduates annually,, but within twenty years they would require to deal with double that number. Instead of duplicating special schools, he recommended that the Education Department shquld ~establish bursaries sufficient to cover travel cost and incidental expenses of students non-resident in Dunedin, the bursaries being directly proportionate to the distance. Thus, North Auckland students might get £SO, South Canterbury only £lO. The numerical proportion . of staff to students should bo one to eight for clinical work, and one to twelve for mechanical work. These requirements might bo met partly by the appointment of visiting dentists, which would probably mean the appointment of six lecturers at a salary of £2OO each. AVhen the new dental school building was occupied there would be the additional maintenance cost. Last year the School earned over £2OOO in clinical fees, whilst students’ fees were over £3OOO, but even so, there was a considerable adverse balance, It was, therefore, clear that the School needed a generous increase on £SOO, the present grant from the Education Department.

Dr., Pickerill also stated tliat it was necessary to considerably extend research post graduate work, and also the provision necessary in the new School for the training annually of a small number of girl mechanics. In Britain the proportion of dontal schools to population was approximately on© to 3,000,000, in Australia one to 2,000,000, and in New Zealand one to 1,250.000. Neither from the service viewpoint, nor the public finance viewpoint, was a second school necessary.