BELOW STANDARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1927, Page 10

BELOW STANDARD.

UNIVERSITY PRIZE ESSAYS.

PROFESSORS TO REPORT.

CANDIDATES SCARCE,

Bccause of the dearth of entries for University essay prizes, the New Zealand University Council decided to-day that the whole question of the prizes should be referred to the Academic Board for investigation and report.

'"I am astounded at the dearth of candidates and the low quality of the essays," said Mr. F. Milner, rector of Waitaki High School. Mr. Milner considered that there was a certain obligation upon the schools of history and social science to inspire students with eagerness and enthusiasm to compete. His experience as a judge was that many of the essays were not above sixth form standard.

Professor J. Maemillau Brown (Chancellor) said the question was whether an opportunity should not be extended to graduates to compete. Referring to the Haydon Prize, he considered that candidates were unduly restricted in having to limit their essays to 1700 words. He suggested that 4000 words should be allowed.

Sir Robert Stout regretted that there was so little competition.

Mr. W. J. Morrell proposed that the professors of history and English should be asked to bring before their classes the essay subjects relating to the work of their chairs.

Professor A. P. W. Thomas said that there should not be a dearth of candidates, as first-class passes in history were fairly numerous.

i Professor T i Chancellor's

. A. Hunter endorsed the suggestion that post-

j graduate candidates should be allowed ito compete. At present the difficulty was that an honours student had no time to compete for essay prizes while | preparing for his examinatiou. He | moved that the question of prizes be ! referred to the Academic Board for a report. "This University has no right," he added, "either in the interests of 1 education or morality to send out people ] with prizes that are awarded on univerJ sity work which shows them to be quite l incompetent." j The motion was seconded by Mr. F. A. ' de la Mare, and carried. j The Chancellor reported that the ' winner of the Haydon Prize this year was G. H. Rignall, of the Auckland Unii versitv College. There was only one ! entry. ' The subject for the next Haydon Prize would be: "Problems of Sea Power in the British, Empire, compared with j that of other sea empires past and present."