OVERHAUL IN PROGRESS

Chronicle (Levin), 12 September 1946, Page 6

OVERHAUL IN PROGRESS

■Press Association

SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAM.

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Sept. ll. This was the first year of the new School Certificate under new regulations, said the Acting-AIinister of Euucation (Alr. Nordmeyer) addressing a conference of seeondaiy school boarcis in Wellington today. Tlie Aliuister sant that the examination was now oue oi prime iniportanec to secondary s.chools, and steps were being taken to niake it a success. A complete overhaul of the Schoot Certificate examination was in prugress, aud Gazette notices had already removed many anticipated diffieulties. Alr Nordmeyer said the national scholarshiiis would be increased in value from £60 to £90 annually, exclusive of fees from October 1 of this year. Boardmg bursaries would be raised fcOm £20 to £50 and holders of liigher School Certificate.s if on a fulltime university course would receive a bursarv aliowance of £20 in addition to fees up to tlie Jimit of £20 paid previouslv. These increases were additional to the coruparativelv recent increases made in tlie boarding allowanees and war bursaries. Under the existing regulations, he contiiiued, combined schools, which hau the advantages of both a secondary atiu a technical school, eould be established onlv if separate secondary and teclunetil schools existed originally, but tlie departnient had in mind niaking it possible to establish a conibined school where only a single school originally existed. With the fceling that the secondary and technical branclies of the postprimarv inspectorate should be dravvu closer together and the retirement or the superintendent of technical education, the present chief insjiec-tor of secondary schools would beconie tlie chief inspector ot' post-primary schoois to co-rdinate secondary and technicai work. With the development of apprentice training it was likely that some of tlie largor technical schools miglit beconie teclmological institutions.