SCHOLARSHIP TENURE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 207, 26 May 1908, Page 8

SCHOLARSHIP TENURE.

APPLICATIONS FOR VARIATION. THE CHIEF INSPECTOR'S REPORT. At a meeting of tho Wellington Education Board on Fobruary 28 last, questions wero raised, as the result of applications from Levin and Mastcrton, whether holders of senior Board scholarships might be given an opportunity of prosecuting -their studies at tho Victoria Collego University. Other questions wore also involved, and it was decided to ask tho Chief Inspector (Mr. L. R. Fleming, M.A., LL.B.) to go into tho whole matter and report. Mr. Fleming's report has now been prepared. Ho states: — "The applications for alteration in tenure of tho scholarships may be divided into two classes—(l) Those who wish to attend a Technical School, but desire to take the evoning classes'instead of the day classes: (2) Those who,, having won Senior Board Scholarships on tho Civil Sorvico Junior Examination, wish to hold their scholarships at Victoria College because they have also passed the matriculation examination. . NIGIIT CLASSES. "With regard to the first, the practico is to pay the scholarship money in quarterly instalments on tho receipt of a satisfactory progress report from the principal of the institution attended by the scholar. The clause in tho Education Act dealing with this says:—' The holder of any such scholarship shall receive the amount of the scholarship only so long as he prosecutes his duties to the satisfaction of tho Board at a secondary school or its equivalent approved by the Board.' (Section 68, Education Act,-1904.) " As the applications were for attendance at the evening classes of tho Wellington Technical School, tho Director, on whoso reports tho scholarship instalments should be paid, was asked for his opinion. Mr. La Trobe replied as follows: —' In answer to your memorandum of even date (February 26) re scholarship lads attending evening classes at this school, I am of ( oprnion that boys attending evening classes cannot accomplish successfully a course of study'equal to that undertaken by , day students. I am further of opinion that where a boy is earning his daily bread in business he cannot give that attention to his studies which it . is right ; to expect from the. holder' of a scholarship. Personally I do not think, that a boy, who is earning: his living should be allowed the same' scholarships as'boys who are attending school during the whole day.''. "On ', this report it was decided , that a scholarship'of the value 0f.£40 and' a free ■place should not be ; awarded/to a student j attending night classes only. ' . ATTENDANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY. " The adoption of, the Victoria University College as an institution .at which senior Board "scholars could carry on their work would lead to the following result:—There would be created a . University scholarship, won on an examination: (Civil. Service Junior) lower' than that required for entrance to the University) and . .granted because tho winner had also. passed another oxamiiiation (matriculation), which is noncompetitive. Practically three kinds of scholarships would be created, junior, senior, and University, all payable out of funds .originally intended to give primary scholars a secondary education, and the Board would bo setting up as a standard for a Universitj scholarship ,an examination which is .distinctly. lower than'that required,-for junior scholarships by the University Senate, and also lower than that required for Universitj bursaries (which aro not. as valuable as' the senior Board scholarship) by i the Education Department. i \ "The holder. of a valuable scholarship granted by the State : should be; moro successful, in his studies than the i ordiifiiry '.student' who merely succeeds in -passing his examinations, and the adoption of Victoria Collego as an institution.where present sbnior Board scholars could ' receive instruction gives the Board no, guarantee, that work . would bo done worthy of such' valuable scholarships. . The lowest standard required, by any, educational institution in the Dominion ' for University " scholarships"or\bursaries granted _by the , Stat-e is the 'credit list' of the junior University scholarship examination, and the addition of > the matriculation oxauiipation. by the Board' for' 'a similar result would distinctly tend to lower that standard. ; ' Moreover, ' th<j l University requires candidates to bo over the age of sixteen years, whereas the senior Board .scholarships aro open . only to candidates under the ago of-sixteen. \ ' '<■ ' SOME OBJECTIONS MET. ' ; "It has becn 'stated that the' Senior, scholars cajuiot obtain sufficient attention at tho District High Schools: I would beg to point out that thje regulations already meet, this; for the scholar may select'the. school he wishes, to attend, and if .ho selects, a'secondary. school, his travelling . expenses to it/ ■if necessary, are paid, ,and if ho has to'live awdy from homo ho gets, an allowance of £40 for his beard, and he 'also . obtains'a, free place, having no fees t'o'pay for tuition.' "That tho secondary schools of, the district, aro well qualified to give adequate in-' , structioii up to tho' standard required for. Junior University' Scholarships is' clearly shown by the number, of scholarships won-by theso institutions from time. to time. 11l tho last examination fivo scholarships v were won by Wellington, one candidate'being first "on tho "list' for New . Zealand! ■ , " "As all the, applicants under the second heading could .obtain suitable instruction at the Wellington Boys' or Girls'. Colleges, no injustice is done to thorn by; interpreting the regulations as they stand at , present; and' as I cannot recommend the Board to establish a lower standard tliaiv that required by the University of the Department, I have no recommendation to make.

• "Under.tho old scholarship regulations the age'limit for junior scholarships was'fifteen, years, but to bring theso .scholarships into lino with'tho Queen's and other scholarships; tho ago limit was mado fourteen years.. It was found that two-years at a secondary school was not sufficient time, to prepare i a student for University lecturcs, and on the representation of tho principals of secondary schools and the University professors, the Queen's Scholarships, which wero first awarded-'on the understanding that two years were sufficient, wore altored'by a special Act, which, allowed three years at the secondary institution, with a possible extension' to a fourth, , which extension has been largely availed of, on the ground, as alleged by the principals of tho Boys' and Girls . Colleges, that the scholars would be benefited ; by another yoar at the secondary institution. Tho sajnoi view has practically been taken in the establisliment of the National Scholarships. "The reduction of the-age limit from fifteen to fourteen on the part of tho Board rendered some step \ necessary to . place its scholars on a level with Queen's or National Scholars, and this was done by tho estab-. lishment of senior scholarships to bo awarded on the result of the examination held by tho Department for senior free places. This differed from the other scholarships in that it made : another competition necessary during the period of instruction at the secondary institution, but it is probably an improvement on the conditions. of tho other scholarships, for it affords an incentive to diligent study, and weeds out tho weaker candidates. It was, however, never contemplated thait any senior scholar should go to tho University, and allowing. such a, course under present conditions would only mean that the. Board would bo tending to perpetuate, a system which has been found faulty in tho past. Tho matriculation examination is placed by tho Department as ono of its examinations for senior free places only, and it requires a credit pss in tho University Scholarship Examination before it mil award what, is-prac-tically a freo place at a University college."