COUNTRY CHILDREN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 206, 1 September 1943, Page 4

COUNTRY CHILDREN

NEW SYSTEM OF BURSARIES (P.A.) Wellington, Aug. 31. The Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, stated to-day tout a sum had been placed on the Supplementary Estimates to provide for a new system of bursaries to assist country children who have pa*ssed a school certificate examinat.on to spend one or two years in the sixth loim of a post-primary school. It had to be realised that a smaller district high school with a staff of only one or two, or at mo’st live or six, teachers, could not provide the same instruction in advanced subjects for sixth form pupils that was available in the large post-primary schools. The problem of the country child would be accentuated next year with the introduction of accrediting for entrance to university. It way unlikely that every district high school would be placed on too list o 1 schools approved for accrediting by the university, and the new university entrance examination to be taken by pupils not accredited would be at a' higher standard than the present examination, although in only three subjects. The new bursaries, which will be of the annual value of £4O, are planned to meet this situation by enabling country pupils to have all tne advantages of one or two years’ course in the sixth form of any State secondary, technical, combined or district/high school on the list of schools approved for accrediting. Not only would this be of great help to prospective university entrants from the country districts hut it. would also free the smaller district, high schools to devote more attention to the needs of the remaining country children who did not intend to go on to the university.

Regulations, said Mr. Mason, arc at present being drafted to bring the new system of nursaries into operation in 1944. and as soon as they are gazetted a further public statement will be made setting out. the exact conditions under which the bursaries will be granted and telling country parents what steps to take to secure them for theif children.