CROWDED OUT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 5

CROWDED OUT.

FREE PLACE GIRL STUDENTS. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. HEADMASTER'S COMPLAINT. A complaint that a number of girls who were entitled to free places in tho Wellington Girls' College, and had been excluded for no apparent reason, was the subject of a dtscuuiion at jjesterday's meeting of tho Education Board, 'ilie complaint was formulated 111 a letter, ana'read as follows:— "To tho secretary, Education Board, —On behalf of several parents ot children 'who obtained proficiency certificates at the 1912 examination of this school, I desire to bring to the notice of tho board what appears to them and mo an unfair discrimination between the pupils of 'different schools made by the authorities of tho Girls' College. ' "When our girls with proficiency certificates applied for admission they were told they could not be acccpted because they nail not applied for -admission on or before December 18, 1912. Now, wo have been advised, for reasons which are probably known s to tile board, not to make known the results of the examinations until tho day of breaking up (last year,- December ID), so that it was impossible for our girls to apply oil or before December, 18. "I am informed on good authority that as soon as tho examination was ■ ■ over, soiuo schools gave out the results and immediately made application to tho Girls' College for the admission of liißir pupils, and that theso applicants wero admitted on the reopening of the college, while our girls were pen- . alised as a result of my following out the suggestion of my superior officer. "I ■ was totally unaware that any date had been fixed on or beforo which application should bo made, and as far as I can ascertain no such date was advertised. "If there is not room to accommodate all itlio proficiency certificate holders . applying, then, in fairness, the places should be shared probata; 1 ' as it is practically all tho pupils of somo schools havo beon taken, while • all those of other schools havo beon i, refused, tho latter for Ino fault of their own. "Sbmo of our girls have been wait T v - ing about in tho hope of', being eventually admitted. Of these some arc at home still, while a few havo returned to us. "These on whose behalf I write ask your' board to be good enough to uso its good offices to prevent such discrimination in the future, even though it may bo too lato to mend, matters this year.—l am, etc., "(Signed) GEO. .FLUX, "Headmaster, S. Wellington Schcol." Not the Only Complaint. Mr. J. G. W. Aitkon said that South Wellington School was not alono in regard to this complaint. Thero were many other schools in Wellington which were also complaining. Ho v soid that the lists for admittance to tho Girls' College closed on December' 18 of each year, and those who made application on tho following day wora told that they were too late. The chairman (Mr. E. Loe) said that it would be tetter to wait ami hare some definito information on jtho matter. Continuing, Mr." Aitkon said that he wanted to know why Mount Cook School did not know the examination result? as early as Clyde Quay School, and why Clyde Quay School did not know as early as Mount Cook: ■, • . Mr. A. W. Hogg said that it was deplorable that ■ theso girls shquld be excluded from tlio collogo > .VTho chairman irifcrruptsd toy explain matters, flja said that these girls were not excluded. There was not sufficient room in the Girls' College, and, consequently, they could not bo; admitted there. But there was also tho Technical School, and tho Normal School. "They are just as good as placss in tho Girls' College. The reason for tho rush on. tho Girls' Collc?o was because it- was ro popular. The whole trouble- is that the .parents are complaining becaus? they\cannot get their daughters into tho particular school thay want them. • Chief Inspector's View. Mr. J. E. Fleming (Chief Inspector) said that the la to announcement of tlis examination results at some of tho schools was not the fault of tho inspectors. They had fixed dates, to visit certain schools, and they had no preference. Tlicy oould not consider one school over another. Ho also said that the existing method had nothing to do with Miss M'Lcan (Principal of the Girls*' CC?ege), or with the Board of Governors. It was a regulation of tho Department. Ho suggested that when the Principal had vacancies in tho college she could inform tho Board of Governors, who in turn, could inform the Education Board, as to the number of vacancies, and then tho board could mako selections. He considered that that would bo a much barter method. In conclusion, ho suggested that the .two bodies should coiifcr on the matter. Mr. Aitken moved that tho matt6r bs referred to the Finance Committee for a report. The motion was carried.