The Qualitative Analysis class will be restricted to 390 Professor Holmes, Head of the Economics Department, told Salient.

An examination in mathematics is to be held at the beginning of the term, and exclusion will be based on results.

"The high failure rate in QA last year was caused by the low standard of mathematical ability," explained Prof. Holmes. "Mathematics to UE level was necessary. In 1966 we started below UE standard and gradually worked up to the standard required. Only 2 3 of one paper was mathematics, and the paper was checked by secondary school teachers, and University mathematicians for reasonableness," he said.

Remedial courses

"This year the department has set up remedial courses to enable students to raise their standard of maths to UE level before they enrol in QA."

"Last year the tutorials were too large," Prof. Holmes said. "There were only 16 groups. This year we will have a limit of 15 students to a tutor, and 26 tutorials. Personal tuition will be available to students who are having difficulties.

"At present no further staff are available to teach QA because of a lack of qualifica-tions. The department has been unable to recruit suffi-cient staff mainly because of the low salaries offered. The, recent increase came too late to be included in the advertisements.

"Quantitive Analysis was; made compulsory by the department because they considered that a knowledge of mathematics was vitally important for modern economics."

Although QA is a compulsory unit for a BCA and a prerequisite for Economics III it is thought the enrolment numbers will not exceed 390. "This year the students have been warned about reauiring a UE standard of maths. Last year this was not emphasised," Prof. Holmes stated.

"Many students felt that it would be an easy unit. BCA required one less unit than BCom, and so some students felt it would be a sure way of finishing their degree. Now QA has the reputation for being a hard unit students will be inclined to leave it until their senior year, or until they have attained a sufficiently high standard of mathematics."

Despite the examination requirement Mr. Barton, Senior Lecturer in Accountancy, has reassured students in their final year, they will not be excluded from the class.