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Shannon News, 15 September 1922, Page 3

The disadvantages under which pupils of small schools labour in competing for scholarships was stressed by Mr W. H. Field (Otaki) in the House of Representatives. There was a strong feeling, he said, that country children were not getting fair treatr ment in the distribution of the .scholarships, and he asked if some better system could not be devised. The Minister of Education( the Hon. C. J. Parr) said it was perfectly obvious that pupils of email schools had not the same chance ctf winning scholarships as pupils of the. larger schools where there were bigger staffs and better equipment. The Department, had been endeavouring to remove the handicap, and children from the smaller schools were now required to obtain 10 per cent less marks to qualify for a scholarship. In proportion to the number that entered for the scholarships, the country children now did very well. The Department was, however, now considering further measures of relief, arid it was suggested that some scholarships should he set apart for the country schools alone.