UNIVERSITY REFORM.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 15

UNIVERSITY REFORM.

(By "Dog Toby," in the "N.Z. Graphic")

Sir William Russell struck the right note when he maintained that in matters of education we were not practical enough. He rightly eulogised our magnificent system of free education, by which the poorest and the richest children alike are enabled to learn the heights of mountains, the lengths of rivers, the subtle and elusive mysteries of English grammar, and all other things necessary to their souls' health. And for all this wealth of knowledge, as he pointed out, neither the parents nor the children have to pay one penny piece. The whole cost is met by that bounteous providence we call the State, the modern parent of all men; without body, parts or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible. The system of free places at the higher or secondary schools opens up further avenues ot knowledge, and only the university stands in the way of an absolutely free system of education from ABC to B.A. Now, in a democratic country like ours, it is a glaring anomaly that the university should still keep to the oldfashioned system of charging fees. It tends to keep alive class distinctions, which it is the aim of modern education to destroy. There is a very real danger that the possession of a degree may come to be regarded as entitling its holder to some measure of social consideration, and we may see a new aristocracy arise—the aristocracy of intellect. This can be partially guarded against by making the road to a degree as free and easy ns the road to a certificate of proficiency. But there is another and a better way by which a university degree could be made to denote something practical, and coulti be made of real utility to the masses of our people. At present the workers have little sympathy with our graduates. We want to make the university of real service to the working classes. As Sir William Russell said, there is nothing very practical about our present method of doing things. We call a man a master of arts when he has mastered no art except the art of translating ancient books which have been translated before hundreds of times, or of solving mathematical problems which have already been solved by the examiner. This is surely rather absurd, when we deny the title to those who nave mastered really useful arts, such as horseshoeing, woodturning, carpentry, and bricklaying. Call the scholars and' the mathematician bachelors of arts if you will, since they have not yet wooed and won the goddess of arts and eraft>-., but the title of master should be reserved for those who are master workmen. The people have already granted it, and speak of a master builder and a master baker. Only the universities continue to confer the title on those who have never learned to do anything useful. They reward the man who has cultivated his mind, and ignore the man who has cultivated his land. A man may be a most skilful tradesman, and yet his skill receives no recognition from our educational authorities, whilst often the humblest intellectual efforts meet with titular recognition. A few years ago a man named Pain offered a prize of a fat turkey to all those who counted correctly the number of times the letter "c" occurred in the Gospel according to St. Luke. Successful competitors not only received a prize, but they were granted the proud privilege of writing the letters P.T.B. after their names, the letters standing for the title "Pain's Turkey Biter." Yet these people had done nothing of the slightest use to the community to entitle them to alphabetical distinction. Mr Pain's competition was, however, quite as practical as many university examinations, and his prize o*f a fat turkey was more substantial than most academic rewards. There is an increasing demand on the part of the Labour party for educational reform in the direction of making education more distinctly utilitarian. The Trade Union Congress very rightly demands that free education should include free maintenance of the children. Food and raiment for the body are just as important as food and raiment for the mind, and it is palpably absurd to provide the one gratis and leave the other to be paid for by the parents. The State ought to provide everything free, for only thus can we hope to bring about complete equality of opportunity. At present many children are handicapped educationally by home conditions, and they regard the various standards with feelings of aversion. If free education included free board and lodging in comfortable quartera, with free lollies and sweetmeats and ginger beer, it would do much to popularise education with our young folk, and we would be able to dispense with truant officers. Technical education will never make the progress it should make till the universities acknowledge it by granting degrees for proficiency in handicraft. If they refuse to grant them, the people themselves will confer the degrees. Already the highest academic title, that of professor, is given by popular acclaim, to many skilled tradesmen. We have professors of the tonsorial art, sartorial professors, and professors of the art of curing baldness. The title of doctor is universally given to men skilled in mending saws. The universities can only justify their existence in a democratic State by that they serve a practical purpose. Religious teaching has been abandoned as not being directly utilitarian, yet we continue to teach the classics. ' JTew Zealand has acquired an enviable reputation as being in the van of progress. She would enormously enhance this reputation if she threw over, once and for all, wbat Mr Parr described as the "frills of education," and devoted herself to the distinctly useful. "Let our degrees be evidence of some form of manual skill, of an ability to earn a living at a good trade, or of some form of commercial ability. Only thus can we hope to raise the value of a degree in the eyes of the community, and save our universities from the contempt with which they are at present only too often regarded.