HANDICAPS ON PUPILS

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1786, 24 July 1926, Page 5

HANDICAPS ON PUPILS

FREE-PLACE ANOMALIES. DENIAL MADE BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. It was stated on July 17 that the Minister of Education, Hon; R. A. Wright, had admitted in the House of Representatives the previous day the existence of certain anomalies alleged by Mr W. J. Jordon (Manukau) to he found in the senior free plaie system. The Minister has now issued a statement denying that there: are such anomalies. ,

Mr Wright says Mr Jordan stated that many children who had won free places could not be admitted to a sec. ondary school or technical high school in Auckland, because these institutions were over-crowded. “The department has no information of any free place pupil being unable to obtain admission to one or other of the post primary schools in Auckland.” he continued. “Certainly none have been refused admission at the Grammar schools. There is ample room at the Technical High 'School for all, free place pupils •desiring to take trade or domestic courses of instruction. It is not correct. that pupils admitted two ffionths after the opening of the school were absolutely debarred by the from obtaining free places no matterhow well qualified they may otherwise be. The fact is that such a pupil can sit for the intermediate' or senior free place examination at any time without fee, and can thus secure a senior free place even if he had been only one year at a post.primary school. Further, the practice is to accredit without examination any educationally qualified pupil who' has taken approved subjects for an average of 18 hours pfcr week during the two years of his junior free place.

“It is also incorrect to say that a pupil who changes from one school to another in the first two years in ineligible for a senior free place provided the 36 units in two years are completed. Again, it was stated that if a child was over 16 years of age he was debarred from obtaining a' senior free place. This is also incorrect, because the junior free place may be extended •to three years until the end of the year in which the pupil reaches the age of 17. The alleged anomalous state of affairs described by Mr Jordan simply does not exist.”