THE UNIVERSITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 993, 7 December 1910, Page 6

THE UNIVERSITY.

I AGITATION FOR REFORM. SOME INTERESTING iOPINIONS. The University - Reform Association, which was constituted as tho result of a public meeting held in Wellington early in ■ the year, has been collecting opinions and evidence in support of its objective. To tllat end, the following letter was addressed to the heads of universities and other education authorities . (including, past and . present examiners of the New Zealand University), in great Britain, America, and Australia:—

"There has been formed in New Zealand a 'University Reform Association,' with.a view .to stimulating public interest ill university education and promoting reforms in tho New Zealand University system. The president and secretary of the association. are now, by direction of tiiat body, writing to you in tho hope that 'you will see your way to help the association to solve* some of the problems of local university reform. We trust that the. subjoined .short statement of pur university system will place you in possession of tho necessarv facts. "The University of Now "Zealand is purely an examining body. Its executive powers aro exercised by . a senate of twenty-four-members, including a representative from each of the four professorial boards. This senate, which is thus a preponderantly. lay body, draws up curricula and syllabuses, and awards degrees on the, results of examinations conducted by. examiners appointed in Great Britain. Except in tho. case of medicine, -the teachers are not consulted as to the students to whom degrees aro to be granted, although by regulations for 'keeping' terms' the professorial boards have power to exclude students from sitting for the degree examinations. In practice, however, it is - obviously impossible for any single professor or board to demand a higher standard than that accepted by the university examiners, especially as there are attached to tho colleges many students who are exempted/from attendance at lectures.

"There are four separate teaching institutions in different centres. These are controlled by councils on only one of which a. professor can hold a seat. In two other cases the professorial board has one representative on a council of over twelve. These councils manage the whole of the. affairs of the college, determine what' subjects shall be taught and who shall teach them. "The principal arguments adduced for' .the retention of tho present system of external examination are:— • "1. The examinations are entirely uniform, impersonal and free from any suspicion of partiality. "2. The standard is maintained and tho teaching stimulated by tho outside examination. "3. The value of the degree is greatly enhanced.. "It is argued on tho other hand that these supposed advantages are illusory, and that as tho examining work is not in the hands of the professors the councils' responsibility in the making of appointments is decreased. Further, the method of organisation adopted by the university and colleges makes it impossible for tho staffs to exercise their due. influence' on the policy of the university. Questions for Discussion. ' "In the earnest hope that you will not. ■withhold from us the advantage of your guidance, wo venture to ask you the following questions:— "(a) Ought we to endeavour to substitute for the purely'external' examination somo form of test in which the opinion of the teachers is taken into account? ■ /'(b) What general powers should be given to the professors in the organisation of the university and colleges ? • ' "We attach hereto a report on our university system by Dr. Starr-Jordan, president of the Inland Stanford, Jnr., University, who visited New Zealand in ;1007. Any additional information or advice that you may feel disposed to givo ,ns will be gratefully received, and our university and community will bo indebted to you." ' Professor Starr-Jordan, it will bo remembered, urged that examination should be a function of tho professor, not of the. university; each .professor, should.certifyto tho college work which the student has actually accomplished in satisfactory fashion; each college to certify to -the University of New Zealand; through a voto of its professorial, board, those students entitled to .degrees. Requirements of degrees should be ■ stated . in terms of work accomplished,- not in terms of examinations required; the examination of any class should be controlled by its teacher. • '

Professor Tucker's Views. Replying to questions (a) and (b)'of the above memorandum, Professor T G Tucker, M.A., Litt. D (Camb.), Hon. Litt'. D. (Dublin), who is Professor of- Classical Philology iu the -University 'of Melbourne, a classical, scholar with a v*ry. wide reputation—ho is the author of a number of works.on the classics (including "The Poetica of Aristotle," "Life in Ancient Athens,'; ."Life in tho -Roman World of Nero and St, Paul"), a recognised authority on university organisation, and at' ono time on the ' staff of Auckland University College—writes' as follows:—

Of course, I should regard the present state of things in New Zealand as ' intolerable. It is cumbrous; it is humiliating; and it is educationally a drag. It would bo interesting to know what opinion the external examiners are driven to form of the status of a New Zealand professor, and consequently of the New Zealand University and its colleges. It is only higher authorities who should test educational work, as they should test any other work. "Why confess (what is not true) that tho New Zealand staffs are inferior to some outside agency— 1ii.0.,_ that they aw what a school is to a university'? "The question as to what general powers should be given to the professors, in < tho organisation of tho university and colleges is vague. I would rather specify the particular powers. But (1) tho professors should alono decido all purelv educational matters. So- far as any other body intervenes, it should bs only by veto in some extreme case' or by suggestions to tho ; body of professors. Educational government includes all arrangements for degrees, examinational or nonexaminational.- (2) Each professorial body should have direct representatives upon- tho council of its college to tho number of at least one-fourth of such council, and on tho council of the university tho professors (an equal proportion from * each college) should amount to at least one-half. I regard tho colleges as having relatively more financial business than the university." Other replies to the ouestions submitted by the Reform Association will be published in The Dominion from' time to time. - .