UNIVERSITY REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1029, 19 January 1911, Page 5

UNIVERSITY REFORM.

ADDRESS BY SIR ROBERT STOUT. REPLY TO PROFESSORS. "A CAMPAIGN OF DEPRECIATION." At Hie annual meeting of the Senate of the New Zealand University, which opened at Christckurch yesterday, the Chancellor of the University (Sir Robert Stout), in his inaugural address, dwelt at considerable length on the agitation for university reform which had been instituted by the professors of Victoria College, its continuity of purpose being established by the constitution of a University Reform Association. In this campaign of depreciation" of existing l/imei-sity institutions, observes the uiaueellor, "there has been no suggestion that the programme of studies required alteiation, a testimony to the manner in wmch the Senate had framed the curricula.

Domination ci the Professoriate, What is asked," asserted the speaker, is practically that professors and lecturers shouldrcally dominate all our University institutions, anil that they should do the governors in all matters dealing with curricula and .syllabuses. Another demand is that thero should bo no external examiners, and that for the ordinarypass degrees the Professorial Board should 06 the examiners of each college. I am not aware that in any British University the teachers are the examiners of candidates tor degrees. It is certainly not so 111 the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In the majority of eases the teachers of a student are not his examiners. Occasionally there may bo a teacher who is an examiner, but to demand that, the teachers should be tlicso ■«lio pass a student as worthy of a de«eo I ' n^ ar d °f in the great Universities of England. • Tho demand that is made 111 .New Zealand is,* I repeat, that the I rofessorial Board of each college should- bo tho examiners. What would bo thought of an analogous demand in, say, nn-'lv Iv , a , mol y. that tho I'ellows of "R n ? ,4 P ass students and the i'ellows of other colleges should have like priuleges. Thero would bo no need of a university of Oxford if such a principle wero once admitted." , Jd° n °t think the professors see what their scheme of professorial rule misrht lead to, said Sir Robert. "If the protcasors are to set the scheme of studies without reference to what are called the laymen, might it not bo urged that in other professions the professors- should also rule; no laws bo passed, unless approved by the lawyers; no primary school syllabus adopted unless nreparotl by. the primary school teachers; not a picture exhibited, nor play acted, unless it has tho sanction of tho professors of painting and of acting. I doubt if the world is npe, or ever will bo ripe, for the rule- of the export. If professional authors had tho censorship oi books probably Thomas Carlylo s lmmitablo 'Sartor Rcsartus' or itobert Burns's 'Tamo' Shanter* might never have' been' published.

A University's ."Greatnew."I do not. wish to make any charge against those professors who have been advocating what is called reform," continued tho chancellor. "I assume that they are actuated by the very highest motives, and that they are desirous of perfecting our University' system. No university in any part of the world is considered perfect. There liavo been discussions in Oxford for the reform of its venerable University. In Cambridge, also, an elaborate report has been prepared. showing how reforms may be tarried out in Cambridge, and our" Uniwill no doubt require adjustment from time to time to suit our .circumstances. I think, howe?er, that we should not forget'that our University began in a very modest way. The first .university institution was opened ill Otago, and it had at first only three prolessors. It is true they were all eminentmen. It had not a largo library, the equipment was of tho most meagro kind; and yet good work was done. If wo look at. tho record oi the students who passed through'our University in its early-days, wo shall find that students were equipped ln . "^ T , cw Zealand for the battle of life * o ,,n ave become eminent in many parts v t t TM9 only bears out • t ii 35 een recognised by educationists all over the world, that the great teacher makes the great University. As President White once said:—lf you t ar k : Hopkins (a celebrated teacher) at one end of/ a log, ..and a student' at. the' other 1 end, -vou would have a great University.' The'young men and young women of New Zealand now are just as able as the voung men and women were twenty or thirtv vears ago. They have greater opportunities" than past students had, and if they .do not succeed as past students succeeded, the fault does not lie in the students, nor in the buildings, nor in. tho poverty.of the libraries and the laboratories. The reason must be sought elsewhere. "1 think I- may be pardoned if I add," concludes the Chancellor, "that it is mucli to be Tegretted that a University Reform Association should have to conducted its demand for reform that, throughout tho educational world, our University should be held up as an institution that is not performing the functions of a true.University. This 'Campaign of Depreciation,' as I have termed it., was one which I think the professors of our University teaching.institutions should not liavo entered on, but as a .Senate we are unconnected with the officers of these independent affiliated, col- . leges. '•••'• ' Wellington Resolutions. ■ "Tho District Court of Convocation for the Wellington district-has forwarded certain resolutions which will bp laid before you. The members condemn external examinations, affirm that the University teachers should, ex officio, take a definite and regular part in all that portion of academic legislation that- deals with the details of the curricula for decrees and of syllabuses for individual subjects, urge the raising of matriculation age to 17, recommend an alteration of the system of voting for graduates' representatives on the Senate—and ask the Senate to deal with the transfer of names from one register to another and to appeal to Parliament to pass an amending Act on this matter.- The meeting of convocation at which these recommendations wero made can hardly Ire considered a representative one, as only fifteen 'members ■ were present. Two of the signatories to tho petition, to. which I have' referred, seem to have been tile most active members of the meeting, 'it. may not therefore be surprising to find that the convocation affirmed the need of legislative 'power being conferred on the professors of affiliated institutions in dealing- with the curricula of University studies. External Examiners. "There are many members of the Senate," the Chancellor went on to say, "who liavo desired, that we should have our examinations conducted. in -New Zealand. • L have, long looked .forward to the time when we should be able to have our examinations conducted by our own graduates and- by professors emeriti. I had hoped that we would have had a pension system for our professors established, and I thought that they could, oil retiring from tho active work of professors, liavo been' appointed examiners, and with tho aid of others, who had passed through our University, have undertaken all the examining work that was necessary for our institution. No one, I am sure, objects to having our examining being done in New Zealand, if wo have the requisite examiners. I am not fconvinced that we have at present a sufficient number of educated men | who are accustomed to examination work, and whoss reputation would bo such as (o preserve the high standard of our degrees. To leave the examination of all students to professors would, I believe, teud to lower the value o£ tho degreos of our University. Further, if each college were to examine its own students, there would be a lack of co-ordination amongst the colleges, and this would bo adopting a principle that is not in accord with tho "present tendency in University institutions. There is n tendency among Home universities towards union and the abolition of separate entranco examinations. I have no doubt that at no distant date the decree examinations of different institutions will bo the same. If tho peoplo of New Zealand thought that each University College should be a degree-granting body, then it would be better to abolish the New Zealand University, and let each University College

b« a University with all the privileges and responsibilities of such an institution. If external examinations are to be abolished for University degrees, why not abolish them for entrance examinations, and let the teachers in secondary schools bo the examiners of their own pupils for tho awarding of scholarships and entrance to the University? "I add 0110 word about the expense of the external examinations. Tho total cost of fees to examiners and expenses in England was in 1900 ,£1303 19s. Sd. Ill' the part of the petition that deals with external examination is this statement: 'The cost of examining alone is about .£SOOO per annum.' Anyone reading the petition would naturally suppose that this sum was paid to external examiners, but tho sum (whicli is really £1952 12s. Bd.) includes £1380 4s. 4d. paid to examiners ill Xew Zealand and A 1620 B=. 6d. for expenses in the Dominion, and professors from the college are employed as examiners. Unless, therefore, tfio professors were to examine without fee, the expenses would not be reduced."

Diffusion of University Education. "There is no doubt much to bo said for ono University institution. It would mean the concentration of libraries, or laboratories, and of teachers, but it would also mean tliat perhaps not one fourth of those who are obtaining University education now would have.the advantage of studying at such a University institution. Our University has made the diffusion of University education possible in our midst. Our affiliated colleges have evening classes, in order to attract as many students as possible. It has been desired to give opportunities to those who are working during the day to study at night, and more than one distinguished student has had to earn his living by day and study by night. If we had started mir University on the old lines, our students would have been fewer, .and I doubt if they would have been so distinguished. ... I am not sure if it would be wise to take away from students in tho 'back-blocks/ who can never manage to study in University schools, the right to be examined and to get degrees or certificates showing their proficiency in knowledge they have, perhaps unaided, attained. The right to get degrees should be open to all, and neither poverty nor distance from a populous centre should prevent any citizen seeking and obtaining University distinction.

University Distinction Must be Free. "We must expect provision to lie made for University colleges being established in many more centres than wo have institutions in at present. I believe the time- will come when there will be more University institutions in New Zealand than we have now, and what is to happen then if there is 110 co-ordinauuu among the colleges? The outlook of true University education would in such an event not be a bright one. We would have many so-called University institutions, doing poor work, as we have seen in some parts of the United States, where there is such a multiplicity of University colleges. If wo desire to see education diffused, we must make the road to University distinction free and open to all, whilst at tho same timo wo keep our degrees high, and worth striving for."