A.F.S. scholars could suffer

By Allan Bradley

American Field Scholarship returnees will suffer from the University Council's move to ban all enrolments after May 31 each year.

The Council considers that students who start University after this date would not be able to cope with Finals.

However, the Students' Association Education Officer. Candy McGrath, herself an A.F.S. returnee, said up till now, no scholar had failed completely in the first year after starting University during the second term.

"In fact," she said, "an A and several B passes have been gained under these circumstances."

The Students' Association Executive have appealed against the ruling.

They feel that students who have sufficient intelligence to gain selection should not find much trouble in passing units within half a year at University.

The American High School's courses provide sufficient background to University studies in New Zealand.

The Authorities will let scholars returning this year enrol for this year's Exams but the ruling will apply from next year.

The reasons behind the ruling were offered at a meeting of the University Council when the Student Representative, John McGrath was not present.

Neither was the decision directly communicated to the Executive.

In a letter to the Vice-chancellor, Dr. D. B. C. Taylor, the Students' Association recorded his dissatisfaction at these actions and requested a reconsideration of the matter, when the Student representative was present.

In another letter to Dr Taylor, John McGrath, in his capacity as Student representative of the University Council, said that he "could not agree with the argument used in the Registrar's letter (to the American Field Service explaining the board's decision), that the situation of the A.F.S. returnee is analogous with that of a student who seeks admission to the University having spent the first two terms in a New Zealand High School.

"Quite apart from anything else the A.F.S. returnee will not be interrupting his High School course—he will have completed it by graduating from an American High School having been prepared to enter University forthwith."

He also noted that in July 1967 the then Vice-Chancellor assured the Council that the A.F.S. students would he covered by the "special cases" section of the regulations.

"Neither the Executive nor the Education Committee feel that the University Council has sufficient motive to change its mind within a year," said Candy McGrath.