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H—39

241. In Section 9 the Committee recommends that intending entrants for the engineering degree course should spend at least one year in the Sixth Form of a postprimary school subsequent to qualifying for University Entrance. This the Committee regards as most necessary if the student is to be sufficiently well grounded in the fundamental subjects of mathematics and the physical sciences and is to reach a reasonable standard in English and other cultural subjects before proceeding to the University. Recommendation — That, other things being equal, special bursaries in engineering should be awarded for preference to candidates who have been accredited for or have passed the University Entrance Examination and have spent an additional year in the Sixth Form of a post-primary school. (ii) The Extension of the System of University College Training of Engineering Cadets 242. Some Government Departments find it worth while to send to the Schools of Engineering cadets already on their staff. The conditions under which this is done vary, but in at least one Government Department employing a large number of professional engineers the full benefit of a University course is lost by the policy of restricting the period to two years. This appears to be a short-sighted policy and the Committee accordingly recommends : Recommendation — That cadets considered worthy of training at the University should be given every encouragement to complete the B.E. degree. 243. The policy referred to above also appears to have unfortunate results in another direction. Post-primary-school pupils who wish to become professional engineers are not appointed as engineering cadets and so have no guarantee that they will be able to enter the profession. Many able boys turn towards other professional occupations offering direct approach to those professions and greater initial inducements. On the other hand, the Committee notes with interest the growing tendency of some Government Departments to appoint a young man to the staff and send him to the University as a full-time student on the understanding that he will work for his Department during the long vacations. This is of particular relevance to the engineering profession because it embodies some of the requirements of the sandwich schemes which have many desirable features. It is considered that this scheme should be extended and that local bodies and private firms should be encouraged to make similar arrangements for their staff. Recommendation— That, as a means of inducing able young men to enter the engineering profession, Government Departments and other organizations be encouraged to offer cadetships under conditions requiring the cadet to attend courses for the B.E. degree as one of the terms of appointment. (iii) Bursaries for Diploma Students 244. The Committee has already recommended that full-time attendance for at least one year should be required of all students following courses for Diplomas in Engineering, or during the interim period, for the Institution Membership examinations (Sections 11 and 12). The proposals for the diploma course require that the third year be full time. Students taking these courses will include some who could not afford to take a degree course even with the assistance of a bursary. For the reason above it is unlikely that

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