FORESTRY SCHOOL

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20102, 4 December 1930, Page 13

FORESTRY SCHOOL

CHANGES CONTEMPLATED. ASSOCIATE COURSE MAY GO, Changes which may be made in tho scope and activity of the Canterbury College School of Forestry, consequent on its having been declared the national school, are outlined in an editorial in the current issue of "Te Kura Ngahere," tho official magazine of the Forestry Club, of the School of Forestry, Canterbury College. "All concerned with forestry in New Zealand have been agrteed as to the futility of attempting to maintaiin two university professional schools of forestry in this country," states the article. '' The announcement that, in future, but one School will be maintained, whereat all the forestry educational activities of the nation will be developed, will, therefore, meet with general approval. "The Canterbury College School of Forestry is naturally deeply gratified that its work and its opportunities should be recognised by the Minister for Education, by the Education Committee of the Empire Forestry Conference, and by other impartial investigators, as entitling this school to be made the .national institution. It is with great relief that the staff of the school has learned that the six" years of "financial starvation, overloading of teaching work, duplication and dispersion of effort are now ended, and that in future better conditions leading to greater teaching efficiency will provide'the incentive to further endeavour.

The New School. "While no details of the necessary reorganisation have yet been' announced it is understood that the change will take place prior to the' opening of - the 1931 session. The new year, therefore, will see the School with additional provision for equipment, and With an increased teaching staff, while- ths status of the present staff will be greaily improved. In an optimistic ' anticipation of the decision, p&ns for the inipfoved conditions have been under consideration by the staff' for some time. There will be a few changes-in thS''teaching method. • The associate course, having- fulfilled its purpose in the- formative days of- forestry in this conntiy, will now probably be •- discontinued. A distinct separation of the Work of tho degree and' the ranger courfies' haS long been recognised as necessary. The Increased Btaff will allow this to be" done. Minor changes' in the" degree prescriptions will probably be- recommended to the University. '

Pore Besearch. - "It is in/the fields of/ research and co-operation, however, that it is hoped to make the greatest advance. These two lines of activity, both vitally necessary to the "development of a" university professional school, have,in the past, been badly starved. A larger staff, and a greater number of senior etacents, together with more equipment, will make possible the advancement of pure research, while the relief of the heavy burden of overmuch teaching will make possible a greater degree of specialisation, and greater freedom to devote to problems of applied forestry in co-operation with all forms of forest industry, and to the "field of extension of teaching work- along technical lines in the form Of-special courses."