RAIL TRAVEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1938, Page 4

RAIL TRAVEL

POSITION OF AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS. FREE CONVEYANCE REFUSED. “The trustees are unanimous in suggesting that students taking an agricultural course at Wairarapa College be given the same privilege of free rail travel as those taking an industrial course, such privilege to be operative to first-year students.” This motion was carried by the Wairarapa Training Farm Trustees recently when during the course of a discussion with a deputation from the Wairarapa College Board of Governors it transpired that students taking up an agricultural course at the college were not given the same travel facilities as those taking up an industrial’ course as far as rail travel was concerned. It was the unanimous opinion of the trustees that equal privileges should be extended to all pupils irrespective of the course they were taking. The matter was brought under the notice of Mr N. Lambourne, Director of Education, in the hope that the privilege asked for could be secured, so as to ensure to Wairarapa College an opportunity of obtaining additional students in their class.

Mr Lambourne, in his reply which has just come to hand, states: “It is considered desirable for pupils attending post-primary schools that the first two years of instruction should be confined principally to the general subjects of the school curriculum and that courses in special subjects such as agriculture should not be stressed too much at the expense of a sound grounding in essential general subjects.” He added that the issue of free school season tickets to students was governed by a departmental circular issued in 1927. According to these regulations free conveyance to a post-primary school other than the one nearest the pupil’s home will not be. allowed in the case of junior and senior agricultural courses, except where the pupil is preparing .to qualify for an agricultural bursary or where the local school does not provide a suitable senior course.