GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1922, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

There are between 16,000 and 17,000 scholars receiving frep secondary education in New Zealand, according to Mr. J. Caughlcy, Director of Education. Speaking in the course of an address at Christchurch on the subject of junior high schools, Mr. Caughl.v said this pro-, portion of. . free place students was probably larger than in any other country (reports the Lyttelton Times). He did not think there were many people in New Zealand who could not afford to send their children to a- secondary school. He did not ignore the economic position, but it was always the needy people who were the greedy ones. He knew of scores of instances .in which parents of very moderate means had been able to keep families of five or six children through the primary schools, and send them on to the secondary institutions, because they had the will to do it.

An opinion that the matriculation examination is available to students of too tender years was expressed by the Director of Education (Mr. J. Caughly) in the course of a lecture in Dunedin, says the “Star.” “Take a lad of sixteen years,” said Mr. Caughly; “will anyone that he is sufficiently matured, that outlook is broad enough, that he has read sufficiently widely and deeply for him to avail himself to the full of the facilities for education—old enough to ensure that he will be able to understand what his professor as a professoi - should teach? If the matriculation examination ceased to be a utility examination, and became the qualification for entrance to the university, as was Intended, the age could be raised by one or two years with great ad* TBfitan/'