23 JUNE 1961, Page 16

Sta,The NUT is demanding that all graduates should have specialist

teacher, training; yet the graduate who applies to do a Dip. Ed. faces a series of obstructions. It is difficult, for example, to get a grant free of parental means test : one must either be over twenty-five before July 31 (a favourite date for Ministry of Education grants) or have been in- dependent for three years (one half of National Service time may be included : why half?). This contrasts with grants for other postgraduate studies which are, rightly, entirely free of parental means test.—Yours faithfully,