MATRICULATION AGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19022, 20 May 1925, Page 13

MATRICULATION AGE.

RAISED TO SEVENTEEN YEARS. DECISION OF THE SENATE. THE IMMATURE STUDENT; ENTRANCE TO UNIVERSITY. [by telegraph.—-press association.: CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday. The question of the matriculation age was discussed at a sitting of the New Zealand University Senate to-day. Proposals wero brought down by a committee to make tho ago of entrance to a'university of a matriculated student 17 years instead of 16 as at present. Ihe proposal did not affect tho age at which a candidate may sit for the examination. If a candidate for matriculation passed at 14 years ho would have to wait until attaining 17 years of age before the university would admit him. Professor T. A. Hunter, in moving the adoption of the recommendation, said practically all who had to deal with mat.,culated students were impressed with the immaturity of mind of many of them. Tho committee considered that tho ago flhould be raised to 17 years and tho university scholarship age reduced from 19 to 18 years. A satisfactory preliminary grounding of 30 years ago was not sufficient now upon which to enter a university college, and the boy or girl who matriculated early would be well advised to remain at a secondary school until 17 years of age. They would then be able to enter into university life more fully. Mr. J. Caughley, Director of Education, in seconding the motion, said that tho new rule would not interfere with students sitting for matriculation but tney could not register before they were 17. Tho presence of very young people in, university classes tended to drag the level of the classes down.

Arbitrary Rule Opposed. Kir Robert Stout opposed the proposal Btrongly. He said it would encourage more honours and less able men. The putting into effect of the motion would be to hinder the middle-class student and help the highclass .student. Intellects developed at various ages, which no arbitrary rule could fix, and there should be absolute freedom in the matter. It would be grossly unfair to hold the brilliant student back.

Professor G. E. Thompson said the crying need was more maturity of mind. The exceptional cases should not be specially catered for. Mr. W. J. Morrell said it was advisable that students should not go on to the university very young, but lie was of opinion that the senate should not legislate expressly upon the question. The average age was 17 years, and he appealed on behalf of the clever youths-that no arbitrary rule should bo fixed. The Hon. J. A. Hanan said the examination was purely a test of mentality. If there were any fault in regard to the immaturity of mind it was the fault of the examinations and these should be stiffened up. Medical Point of View. Sir Lindo Ferguson said it was a question that should be considered to some extent from the medical point of view. For the ordinary girl it was highly advisable that the strain of university life should not be placed upon her until she was at least 17 years of age. They owed it to the future mothers of the race that the strain of university life should not be placed upon girls at a critcal age. Professor Segar: Is it worse than the school strain ?

Sir Lindo Ferguson: Yes, I think so. The Hon Dr. Collins supported the proposal from the physiological point of view. They all knew that the brilliant bovs were not successes in after life. Professor H. W. Segar said a boy recently came to the university at 16 years of age in "shorts," and girls with long plaits of hair. They were not able to mix with their fellow students on terms of equality. Students who matriculated late .were usually the best from the university point of view. Professor A. Wall said that a Canterbury College student who recently returned from Cambridge told him ho was impressed with the more matured mind of the English university man than that of the Dominion man.

Sir Robert Stout: Do you suggest they are more developed ? Professor Wall: Yes. ■ Sir Robert Stout: Absolute rubbish. The Hon. J. A. Hanan: Take the record of our Rhodes scholars.

Professor J. C. Sperrin-Johnson said his experience was that it was inadvisable for the early matriculated student to stay on at a secondary school. What was done there? Practically nothing. With the medical course the age was 10 years, so ho was not affected, but he doubted the wisdom of making a student wait for some time. Cost to the Parents. Professor J. Hight hoped the motion would-not be carried. It was doubtful if the university entrance examination brought out the best students. Raising the age would entail a heavier burden upon poor people in the maintenance of a son or daughter for another year. Sir Robert Stout: Hear, hear.

The chancellor said the senate should settle the question. His experience led him to believe that the age of matriculants was too young. There; should bo a test to prevent immature students going into the university. It would not mean that tiie students would be debarred from a university course. Many secondary school students regarded the examination as setting the seal on their secondary school course and intended to enter mercantile offices.

The motion was carried by 11 votes to seven.

HEADMASTERS APPROVE. MATURE MINDS NEEDED. The raising of the matriculation age is likely to bo approved by nearly all secondary school authorities. Two Auckland headmasters who wero asked for their opinion , last weening both gave sound reasons why boys should not bo admitted to the university before the age of 17 at the earliest. "Not ono 16-year-old boy in a hundred is fit to take a university course," snid Mr. F. W. Gambit?, headmaster of the Mount Albert Boys' Grammar School. Air. Gamble explained that, with the liberal bursaries now available, it was unwise to take a boy away from a secondary school too early. Any boy who staved the extra year and showed reasonable could be almost certain of getting a bursary which would save him from £lO to £2O a year in university fees, according to the course taken.

Mr. G. J. Park, director of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, said he had noticed the same tendency among hoys to enter the university as soon as they had passed the matriculation examination. In his opinion, 17 was early enough for anyone to enter a university, where a fairly mature mind was required 1 in the student.