H—34a

Scholarship Examination, but instead undertake a specialized science course in the sixth form. The proportion of able students who select science and medicine is thus probably even higher than the figure for Entrance Scholarship winners would indicate. The Education Department awards a number of " special bursaries " for students studying pure or applied science. At first sight it might seem that an analysis of bursary awards would provide a means of comparing " science " students with students entering, for example, courses in " architecture and engineering." The distinction between special bursaries and ordinary bursaries, however, lies in the allowance for board and lodging included in the former. It is evident, therefore, that pupils in the University cities (which contain over 41 per cent, of New Zealand's population) intending to take science would be unlikely to enter for special bursaries. It was found here that the highest quality of students applying for special bursaries occurred among those seeking entrance to the special schools of architecture and engineering. For our purposes, however, there is little significance in this fact, when it is remembered that the schools, being attached to particular University colleges, have a fairly large number of students living away from home. On the other hand, candidates for bursaries in agriculture and home science were among the weakest of the applicants for special bursaries. We were therefore precluded from using the special bursaries as a basis for comparison in quality of students entering the University in the different faculties. Our second approach to the problem was to compare the wastage of students from science courses with the wastage from all courses. Table H shows the number of students in all University degree and diploma courses and the percentage of failure at the annual examinations. The table also shows the number of students in the science course, together with the percentage of failures.

Table H—Examination Wastage

Jt is noticeable in the above table that the percentages of failures in science courses are considerably lower than the percentages of failures in all courses. For a further appraisal of the quality of science students we sought the opinion of the Professors of Chemistry. As Stage I chemistry is common to the B.Sc. and the medical intermediate courses, we asked the Professors for an assessment of the relative quality of students in the two groups. The opinions expressed noted the higher accomplishment of medical students in chemistry since the introduction of competitive entry to the Medical School. Prior to this there would seem to have been equality in the two groups. Figures were quoted

20

— I 1945. 1946. 1947. Candidates entering for all University 10,428 14,455 15,957 examinations Successful candidates 6,782 9,464 10,394 Percentage unsuccessful ... 35 35 35 Candidates entering for all science degree 1,147 1,533 1,-561 examinations Candidates successful 815 1,178 1,194 Percentage unsuccessful 29 23 24