FORESTRY SCHOOL.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1930, Page 2

FORESTRY SCHOOL.

C HAXG.ES CONTEMPLATE L>. ASSOCIATE COURSE MAY GO. ' Changes which may be made in live scope and activity of tne Canterbury College School of Forestry, consequent on its having been declared the national school, are outlined in an editorial, in the current issue ot “1 e Kura Ngahere,” the official magazun of the Forestry Club, of the Schoui of Forestry, Canterbury College.

“All. concerned with forestry in New Zealand have been agreed ns to the futility of attempting, to maintain two university profern.oiu'-1 schools ol 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 b'* developed, will, there!ore, meet with general approval. “The Canterbury College School of Forestry is naturally deeply gratifFci 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 investigations. 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 1981 -season. The new year, therefore, will se--, the ,School with additional provision for equipment, and with an increased teaching staff, while the status of the present staff will he greatly improved. In an optimistic anticipation of the decision, plans for the improved conditions have been under consideration by the staff for some time. There will be a few cliaug.a in the teaching method. The associate course, having fulfilled its purpose in the formative days of forestry in thus country, will now probably be discontinued. A distinct separation of the work of Uio degree and ranger courses has long been recognised as necessary. The increased staff will allow this to be done. Minor changes in the tie-

gree- prescriptions will probbnly ho recommended to the University. PURE RESEARCH.

“It is in the fields of research and co-operation, however, that it is hoped to make the greatest advance. Those two lines of activity, both vitally necessary to the development of a universal professional school, have, in the past, been badly starved. A larger staff, and a. greater number of senior students, together with mure equipment. will make doss', Me the advancement of pure res'V-irch. while the relief of tin 1 heavy burden of over teaching will make possible a greater' desires 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 iorm ol special courses.”