Bursaries—Modest Increases Only?

There would, however, be carrots as well as sticks for the part-timers. The Bursary recommendations are important, for financial difficulties must play a major part in forcing students to study part-time. Many VUW students will heartily agree that the Training College Studentship scheme should be wound up as soon as possible. The Bursary provisions have become an easily-worked racket for some students. They also discriminate against perfectly able students who do not wish to bind themselves to State service. The reward of a studentship entails no work on the part of a sixth former, and the Junior and National Scholarships, which do, are worth far less. Anyway, is it really worth while binding students to work as teachers before they have had a chance to decide on their choice of careers? The scheme is merely a temptation for students to become unwilling teachers, or at least halfhearted ones, for the sake of the money.

To compensate for the winding-up of the scheme, big bursary and scholarship increases are needed, but the Committee's recommendations fall far short of what would be necessary to encourage more full-time study. The increase in boarding allowances to £100 per year is long overdue. but other suggested increases will not tempt those who at present have to work to keep themselves. The lack of any recommendation for a grant to University Entrance holders, other than the present payment of fees, is particularly disappointing.—J.D.