UNIVERSITIES IN CANADA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27472, 5 October 1954, Page 12

UNIVERSITIES IN CANADA

COMPARISON WITH NEW ZEALAND DR. G. A. CURRIE RETURNS FROM CONFERENCE (New Zealand Press Association) __ „ AUCKLAND, October 24. New Zealand lags far behind Canada in its provision of university buildings. That was the main impression formed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Zealand (Dr. G. A. Currie) during a tour of Canadian universifies. Dr. Currie returned to Auckland by air today after attending an executive conference of Associations of the Universities of the British Commonwealth, a t Kingston. Ontario. The conference lasted five days, and was attended by 25 Commonwealth vice-chancellors. “The first thing that hits you in the eye in the United States and Canada is the tremendous educational building programmes they have under way,” he said. The standard of education he had found “very comparable" with that in New Zealand. Many of the provincial universities had automatic accrediting. Tbey took the attitude that students should be given an opportunity of attending university—after that it was up to them. Dr. Currie saia the main things discussed at the conference were administrational problems and student and teacher exchange. Little progress could, be made on the teacher exchange question, mainly because of the need for more funds. On the last day of the conference, 12 American university presidents attended. “They took a very reasonable view on McCarthyism, said Dr. Currie. “They felt that the universities had been afc>le to handle the situation without any loss of academic freedom or dignity. ’