University Building Needs

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30219, 26 August 1963, Page 10

University Building Needs

(N.Z. Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, August 25. The Government was trying to get ahead of the demand for university accommodation in Palmerston North and Waikato, said Dr. F. J. Llewellyn, chairman of the University Grants Committee, today.

It was a different matter in the four main centres though. There the Government was trying to meet the demand, he said.

Dr. Llewellyn was addressing the parent-teacher movement conference at Massey University College of Manawatu. The university population had increased greatly in the last few years. This increase resulted from the post-war leap in population. But the realisation that the population would increase was not matched by building more facilities. Now, authorities in the four main centres were trying to build against time. Dr. Llewellyn said he believed the students in these centres

would overtake the accommodation within a few years. The New Zealand university student population was now 17.000. This was expected to rise to 25,500 by 1969, and to 40,000 by 1980 if the present trend continued. A much greater proportion of young people were looking to the university for training. This was part of the growth of perplexity and professional life in New Zealand.

This student population rise also resulted from looking to the future. It was realised that more skill had to be put into the export trade.

“I think this is a time when we can look forward to development diversification, and increasing importance of the university and the undergraduate in society,” said Dr. Llewellyn. “But while our future depends a greet deal on the university—it does not depend entirely on it. “Here and overseas, cults have developed where it is considered fashionable to have a university education. But there are other ways of leading a useful life without this education. Not every person has the ability to obtain a degree. Failure' to- go to university should not be considered a stigma." It was not difficult to get students. The difficulty lay in turning them into graduates, said Dr. Llewellyn.

Students generally took too long to gain a degree. Three factors were partly responsible for this. (1) Low standards at school. (2) The content of university courses was too high. (3) The attitude of students.

This last reason was partly why fees had been increased, and more bursaries, and scholarships made available. The move provided more incentive for students keen to make the best of their opportunities.

"This move has only been operating two years, and I think it is too early to judge the results.” said Dr. Llewellyn. "But it seems we are obtaining the results hoped for. “Evidence from examinations show that first-year students are working harder and the standard of pass rates are higher.” A move was afoot to persuade the country’s best graduates to stay and work for some time before going overseas to further their studies, he said. Unfortunately, about 50 per cent of the “top flight” graduates who went overseas immediately after graduating never returned. By staying and working before furthering their studies, they would learn something of the conditions they could expect to enjoy here. This way it hoped to cut the 50 per cent loss rate.