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256. If these recommendations are accepted, some alteration in the University of New Zealand Act may be required, particularly as the Committee is of opinion that reference to the Council should in some matters be mandatory. The Council as recommended is riot simply a passive body; it will have the right to suggest changes and to tender advice. The Committee hopes, too, that such a Council will be concerned with broad principles rather than minute detail. 15. RECOGNITION OF STATUS OF ENGINEERS' ASSISTANTS 257. It was clear from the evidence submitted to the Committee that there is a demand for some recognition of status for engineers' assistants. Evidence to this effect was given by the Engineers' and Assistants' Association, Inc. The Committee regards the establishment and continued activities of this and similar associations as desirable and recognizes the importance of their members to industry and to the engineering profession. The qualifications of the membership, however, are varied, and will in many cases depend more on length of experience than on examination certificates. This Committee does not regard the establishment of any form of certificate for this group as coming within its functions, but it desires to commend the matter to the Hon. the Minister for his sympathetic consideration. 16. SPECIFIC FINDINGS OF THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE 258. Your Committee's answers to the questions which you placed before it are set out below : Question (i) : What are the most satisfactory courses to be undertaken at the post-primary stage by prospective entrants to the engineering profession ? 259. The Committee's answers to this question are set out fully in Section 9. They cover the entire post-primary course. The following conclusions were reached: — (a) That for intending engineering students there should be no specialization before the end of the School Certificate year (page 31). (b) That for these entrants instruction at the post-primary stage in technical engineering subjects is not essential (page 31). (c) That even at the post-certificate stage concentration on mathematics and the physical sciences should not exclude English and other cultural subjects (page 31). (d) That intending entrants for the engineering degree course should spend at least one year in the Sixth Form subsequent to qualifying for University Entrance (page 31). 260. A sound grounding in mathematics and the physical sciences is, of course, essential for intending engineering students, whether for degree or diploma. For Institution Membership examinations the present minimum pre-requisite is the School Certificate examination passed in the subjects of the Common Preliminary, but the Committee is recommending that the pre-requisite be now University Entrance. Question (ii) : Is the present standard of entrants to degree and diploma courses in engineering satisfactory ? 261. An investigation by the Scientific Man-power Committee* showed that between 1936 and 1946 inclusive there was a greater proportion of winners of University Entrance Scholarships among students following an engineering degree course than in any other faculty, while the Education Department states that the highest quality of students applying for its special bursaries occurs among those seeking entrance to the University Schools of Engineering. The Committee is of the opinion, therefore, that engineering gets at least its fair share of the best pupils leaving the post-primary schools.

* Scientific Man-power Resources of New Zealand, Government Printer, 1948, at page 19.

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