UNIVERSITY WORK AND CRAMMING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 10

UNIVERSITY WORK AND CRAMMING.

f?.': ■;;;;;|:.Sir, i =hX:.;c6iisi(lcritlio."remarks', of -of -your, '( •;:,:i'cOrrcspoiulcuts, '„'School,"/in -yestordny.V issue,' £{Ja\igl}t:niot:'tO; pass 'unchallenged.' ' This. person ¥■':::; iir 'evidently', unable "to '; distinguish . between ■?, '■'■' -,a;!"cbach". : -and, : a ' Professor r of y '^Mathematics.'^, 1 : j, -/; vV-.'-i'y.v. .'< •.:.; '-■■■ , : t^.i'/No.^greatw^OYiyexists' in : our.'universities '.'.. ■-■'- i,fthan ■• the■ "villainous' habit 'of/'cramming" for •vv>.'! : 'ox'aminatibns--a' course, which 13 not- only not :':■.' benefidftlj:bntr'eVcnXinjurious. By." a" system a'pqssiblo'; for\> a"'student, of F/..r'''in)ath'enla'tics';to.:acquire a, knowledge'/'.of ~ a ft;" i'riumber; of-'trick's ■and>doTice3 :that. will ; get ■;': ,v him'.'through .liis':'. he •;?:.; -will - 'promptly 'foTget; most of theso,. and be ?•'■-'.-i HttldJ-the ••worse,;i except ',that' be ■ has 'wasted ofVthe-'inost :valuable itime of his' life, ft'-'iand'-has •hlS'-lbrain'.ioadbd with-superfluous ?:;:.':Utimb«/-! ; ':'";:;'r.-:'i i'l&'-i! w'X :>-'. '. ,i'\i':'. ■■■ I';; -'-\ i/;; ; .(i^ ; .'Thb:' -yalrie -.of.- mathematics ' is in\the ■::'■'. :' ? m'astdry : . of.;: a.::few., .rnle-of-thninb'.■ methods.' or.all:' sciences:, is ; pre-eminently ; > v : Biiited :for.. training.;the.'mind reason 'logic:,iv/,;/'ally, ■' andv toj.-apprdciato:.'finer "'distinctions ;of %■'■!'■■ i 'l-i.deas;'-.but such-benefit -is- to. ; bo..derived, from >; ;C, : 'a 'tborough: grasp .'l'of -the': fundamental ideas S;//;iVnich'.in'o.;;a'mouiit..pf; , : ,"crara''; will. give. If, t. .■>: Xlheiy.a' professori.'dcterminosvto instmct • only fcvV'tbAty'part'. of; thOitobjcct. that willibe a.;real £'.: .-student.; in; after■ life,' _if,-ho., decides r.' >: to give: only-tbat'.'.ttaining.that .'has/a'lasting f ; -i'#gbdari'influcuce, 'and, '< resolutely;';sets -'his .'mind t" .:,;•, against; the ; valueless, :and,';perhaps, harmful "of :tho v ; ordinary . course, j- : : '>\ •urelv.;;ha;u; l striviug. : after-'a floftrjldeakv':';.-.'■•

-I • don't !• think'-I -am. exaggerating the case when'"'•l' say that the average student of mathematics" does not care a "jot" for what beneht mentally-he derives-from his study. What ho ■wants':is';tho'B.'A.; degree, .tho "open for a decent' position, and so outside ' coaches aro'resorted'to. ■'It''ihust bo 'plain that a university is: a:,failn(Cif : it is satisfied; with turning out men who havo simply 1 obtained, a degree; but have,' Tin its acquirement, been through an, inferior training, _ that leaves them not'mucli' hotter mentally equipped for..the.real:.work:of.their lives thou they wero before the commencement of their studies.. .; This,is'incidentally an argument against the present;s.vstcm.,.of ..'examination. Moro real., soholorshij) would'lie assured-, if the year-s SrbrK,;'dohci'-under -.the professor's supervision. wfls;;tho; awarding of degrees,, thaiiJ ; by»haviiig-;-ah: outsido- examiner, who. forms'.Ms "'while judgment ourfynsmall papers, Hhd-iyhoMsalso. wholly out. of touch, and out 'of..'synipathy,''"witb the:work of tho class. :; ;I; have spoken with several of the "honours" studonts.'.'nnd''they';unanimously;.admit; thatthe professor's methods aroexcellent .from-.an "educational "..point of:.view/- "but "not so good for. examination ! ! If burVuniversitics aro going to aid the advanccmeSt''bfc'ulfiir'tf, if they aro going to.produco good; andyofficient .leaders -of our citizons, the pfdfwaops."-" must'-Vl>q'- actuated 'by tho highest' 'ideals;;'and/are-justified .in trying,, to stamp, biitaii evil that is retarding real progress in .thought.'-'" ■; , ''.;". ... "■.' : ~':'..'" 'The ."innuendo", that the professor in question ! is -incapablo of giving tho proper.' instruction is unworthy of notice, and for refutation of this ill-considered.suggestion, reference need only be.made;to the professor's brilliant career 'as.:.a.'..student; -Trusting that yon . will find ;spac'e"'for.. these few: remarks.—l am, etc., . v^v.l.:;/';; , ; ■"*"•.'■'-•■I-.i -;' 1 ■•:■■. e. .axticram. ■