EDUCATIONAL WORK

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21034, 9 February 1940, Page 10

EDUCATIONAL WORK

AIR FORCE RECRUITS 419 TO ATTEND CLASSES CORRESPONDENCE COURSE (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday The special classes in mathematics and elementary physics for Air Force recruits were now being established throughout the Dominion and 708 men were enrolled, said the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, this evening. Of these 419 would attend classes in one of the following towns: Auckland (live classes), Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington (three classes), Christchurch (two classes), Timaru, Dunedin and Invercargill. The remainder, 289, would be given instruction in the same course of work by correspondence. Of the total 485 were men whose educational standard in mathematics and elementary physics was at present somewhat below that required for pilots, but the instruction being given would enable these men to reach the required standard. The Minister said he regarded the correspondence work as a substitute only, but not a complete substitute for class instruction. Those men doing correspondence courses were therefore being encouraged to attend special classes on one evening a week if they were near enough to those towns in which special classes had been established to make such attendance possible. He hoped also to be able to make arrangements for a large number of others to attend ordinary evening classes in mathematics in centres in which there were not sufficient candidates offering to render the establishment of a special class economic. The Minister said Mr Caradus, director of educational services, had made all the necessary preliminary arrangements, both for the establishment of special classes and for the correspondence work. The first assignment of work in connection with the correspondence instruction had already been sent out.