VICTORIA COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 227, 18 June 1908, Page 8

VICTORIA COLLEGE.

■ ' ' t> ■ ■——' MEETINC OF COUNCIL. 'A FINANCIAL QUANDARY. Tho Victoria College Council is in a finan- :. icial quandary.- The number of students who ■ go up for tho University examinations from this college district is almost double the num- , i t '.>■ ■; .bor from any' other district,: yet tho fees are lower than those of any other university . collego in the Dominion. The fees at Duncdin University are fully twice as high. The v combination of large membership and low ;••• -v-•.••••,.-.iocs has .several'awkward consequences. .-In the first, place, many Qf the classes are far too largo, for the profossors. , One professor ,i: has to cope with 180 students. Assistant lcc- .. .turors are urgently required, yet the Council ../ has no revenue for their support. ' Again, tho fees of Senior National Scholars are paid by Government-, and the difference between 1 : the rates of college fees at Otago University and Victoria College, for example, means , that the former " institution receives more Government assistance to its funds than does the latter. If the scholarship allowances paid to Victoria Collego by the Government : ; :- v wore paid on'the Otago scale, they would . . amount to twice as much each year. The .Victoria, Collego Council has decided that a deputation shall wait on the Government, Boon after the commencement of the'session, and point out that,, in order to carry on, the ■Council must cither increase its fees or re- : ceive a larger subsidy from the State. .It is understood that the Council does not wish to raise the fees, as if that wero done the , college might lose a number of students who have p'assed their degrees, but continue to attend lectures for the sake of' the collego life, or for pure'love of knowledge. T AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.. 'At the meeting of the College Council last evening, the chairman (Mr. T. R. Fleming) ' read a report which tho pccretary had prepared, showing-the number of examination ■ candidates in the' Victoria Collego district and the other college districts. ; It stated i that'the number of candidates for university examinations in the Auckland College district for 1907 was 356, or 15.8 per. cent, of :i ■ the total number for New Zealand. • Tlio number for. this district was 916 '(40.8 per cent.), in the Canterbury College 418 .- . (18.6 per cent.), and in the Otago TJniversity .'• V district 550 (2-1.5 per cent.). The.following particulars were also given with regard to pupils attending schools, at tho end of Auckland College — Primaryschools '32,455, district high 377, secondary 640, total 33,472, percentage, 22.9. Victoria Collego District.—Primary 53,517, -. - , district high, schools 1135, secondary 1733, ' total 56,385, percentago 38.5. Canterbury College District.—Primary ' 24.598, district-high schools 565, secondary 923, total 26,086; percentage 17.7. Otago University District.—Primary 28,732, . district high schools 517,. secondary 974, - total 30,223, percentage 20.6. ' The fees received at Victoria Collego for Senior National Scholarships during the year ■ • ■ ''/wero £59 os. 6d., which on the Otago scale • would ,be-£llß Is. The fees received for • training college students were £316 os. 6d., which on tho Otago scale, would bo £632 Is. For Queen's Scholars and Senior Queen's 'Scholars tho Council received nothing. If fees-wero obtained for. them they would amount to £105 9s. ; , These facts will bo represented to the Govi.v ehim'eht by the deputation. }' SIZE OF CLASSES. . The Council is also seeking information from other, colonial Universities, as to tho work of' their''professors, and 'size of classes. At last night's meeting a Jotter was Tead, which ! . ' gave the position in regard to Sydney Uni- ; " versity. There, the number of students in the various classes ranges from 12 to 150 or more. ;• • There are assistant .lecturers in geology, modern literature, . chemistry, and other subjects, together -with ,"- K demonstration in the scientific subjects, ac-'..-cording-to the'number of the students.tak'ing practical work. . >i; Tho Chainnan stated that evidently some of the classes at Victoria Collego were far larger than those in Sydney. RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS. ■ 'A. letter was received from the Assistant-. Inspector-General of Schools (Dr. Anderson) acknowledging receipt of tho Council's re--7 : : . commendation in respect of representation on . theVspecial research scholarship board. -Tho proposal, Dr. .Anderson wrote, would'receive ' . i - - special consideration, but as the regulations y ; already approved wore in type, any altoTation could only bo made* by way of aniend- • ment. . , - ■ Other detail business was transacted. 7' .. ' The .Council meeting was attended by the Chairman (Mr. T. R. Fleming), Dr. Knight, Messrs. C. Watson, C. Wilson, W. H. Quick, .and H. F. von Haast. ,