WAR BURSARIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 257, 25 July 1919, Page 6

WAR BURSARIES

OVEB 250 AWAKDX IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The New South W«ies Minister for Education recently TC-fcvre-fl to the provisions made by his Department for war bursaries for soldiers children. Mr. J-imcs remarked thai already over 250 awards have been made, but the extent to which children of incapacitated and fallen soldiers are being provided for is not generally known, and there may bfl some who, although entitled to such buri saries, have, through ignorance, failed to avail themselves of the concessions. These war bursaries do not depend on 1 examination results or any similar quali- ■ fieation. the. sole conditions, attached to ■ the regulation being that the child's ! father, or the breadwinner of the family. ; has been incapacitated, or lias died as i tho result of active military service I abroad. An incapacitated soldier is held to be one who, in the course of his mill— ' ta'ry duties or service, has been rendered ! unfit to follow any avocation in such a way as to enable him to provide an income equal to that prescribed for similar bursaries under the Bursary Endowment Act; where a soldier's wage-earning i power has been reduced by wounds, illness, or inability-to secure employment such as he had before enlistment, assistAlice is given, tho board determining in 1 each case the degree of assistance towards the education of children in accordance with the degree, of disability of the applicant. "'A number of returned soldiers recently suggested to me," said the Minister, ''that in all cases where tno son of a widowed mother has fallen at the front, war bursaries should be made available ' for any young children of the family at- ' tending , 'school. As a matter of fact, i a provision of this nature already exists, land a number of bursaries have been awarded in cases whore a son who was the breadwinner of the family has fallen and left a widowed mother to support children. ' In at least twelve cases of this nature, war bursaries ranging' from jE1(l to ,£3O per year have been granted. "Unlike ordinary bursaries, tho war bursaries are not restricted to secondary' courses, but are also applicable to primary education in either State or nonState schools, as'well as to agricultural, technical, or University courses. Qm'e a number of bursaries have been given to boys and girls only seven years ol age.