UNIVERSITY REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 5 November 1912, Page 8

UNIVERSITY REFORM.

IN SYDNEY. PROPOSED LEGISLATION CIMTI- ! CISDD. \ Discussing /tho subject of tho University Reform Bill recently, Professor T. W. Edgoworth David said that of all tho problems approached by the Labour party nono had bsen taken up moro seriously than that of education. Tho special features of tho Bill were, firstly, the alteration of 'tlio constitution of the Senate, abolishing lifo tenure; secondly, the provision, for tho election of eight out of tho 20 members of tlio new Scnato by bodies other than, tho graduates of tho University Convocation; thirdly, the/ provision for 200 publie (fcholarships to .bo awarded annually to tho 200 candidates who.showmost proficiency at the raw leaving certificate examination; and last, the'establishment of evening tutorial classes in oo r omios, English modern history, and sociology with possibly other subjects to be added later. System of Election. "In. reference to tho new system ot elootion. fo (.ho Senate/' said Professor David, "I prefer not to express an opinion further than that it is obvious that, as tho Govornmant is materially increasing the endowment of the University, it would naturally oxpeot to havo ciorcie representation 1 on tho body that immediately controls that endowment, and therefore the proposed appointment of four members to tho ; Senate by fho State Government seems reasonable as regards numbers, but no hint is;jiven as to who the four are likolv to bo. At tho samo time, the-change from a fcenate of 20 members, of whom 1G are elected solely by the University graduates m convocation, and four elected by tho Senate on, the nomination of the' four faculties of arts, science, law, and niedia Senate of of which eight a,re elected by noii-Univorsity bodies, SEcms rather sudden. • In a matter 6'uch as University reform,-/hasten slowly' is surely a good maxim. It has been suggested that the two members to be elected respectively by the metropolitan and municipal bodies Of Sydney, and by the mayors and presidents of councils or .municipaliues and shires outside Sydney, Would'probably be less useful than, for example, a representative eleotcd by the ur.der-gradu-ares and an extra member to represent graduates..' With this criticism I am quite m Synpatfiy. Two Hundred Public Scholarships.-^ freo Plication, which will resuit from the establishment under tile JJiU of the 200 new public scholarships, it is not fully understood by the public, even now, that education .at'this. Univer' sity is free for. boys, and girls who have given proof that'they have the intellec- , tual ability to profit by a University' education, and'who have also shown rea®v'cjPnco a ' a private interview with the chancellor and registrar' that they have no.t tho private means to carry them through .the course. At the same time, such exemption of fees applies ohly to tne faculties of arts and science, not to the professional schools of law, medicine, and engineering. ''Tho most important feature of these public scholarships is that, as they will be tenable by students in any professional schools, the.v throw open the professional 6chools to all, rich and poor alike, which f./', 1 ? ? and _ equitable provision 1? i ' " u '- there is a serious danger that it may react'harmfully. For example, the first 200 on the list of those who m 19H pass, tlio leaving certificate esaminatiott will find themselves at once in the position of being able to enter any department of ' the _ TTnJversity, 'arts, scienoe, law,' mediciiie, or engineering, without payment of' fees. The professional subjects, popularly known as the br.ead-aiid-butter subjects,. attract at -present a large proportion of the'total number of. students, in spite of the fact that' in these schools' there is no > Exemption iroiu fees. For example, there, are. at present 457 students,-, in, medicine; 37 : in. law,, and 100 in out of "a total qf Over 1300 students. \ ' "Serious as financial difficulties of the scheme appear, they are less, serious to my mind than the almost certain effect of the unreserved .and uncontrolled opening of the professional schools to the 200 public scholars, which is sure to:lea<} to the university becoming lop-sided, the gain, to the 'professional schools being largely at the expense' and the detriment of arts ,and_ science, No democrat would deny the right of. anjr deserving student to a professional university education,, but how to secure this without overcrqwding the professions, and Consequently depleting the arts and science schools, • is- ft Teal. crux. The' Government -has been very. liberal to , the university, and undoubtedly most sincere and. serious in all its actibns to _ advance the highest interests of education, but having , been brought face to face with this very serii ous crux, surely it Were wjse not to'rush reform. Royal .Commission Wanted. „ "Our present university. • system has been 58 years in the buildiug, and from tho days of Wentworth until now the brightest and ablest intellects in this land' have been its builders. They builded well, and this country has every reason to be proud of their work. Why now, 1 When it is proposed to profoundly alter this building, should the wcirk be. rushed before the plans have been scanned by anj; but two or three, experts? London University and the Scotch universities have recently htid Royal Commissions ap-: pqinted to suggest' refofm^,. .Victoria; Adelaide, and Queensland universities havo also lately adopted .a similar policy. If only a Royal" Commission werei appointed to inquire into this u proposed reform of Sydney University, much valuable expert evidence could be tendered, and the public .would havfi the satisfac- j tion of knowing that every reasonable ef- ] fort had been made to meet many obvious difficulties, and to secure to. the country that its university education shall be a's near perfection as possible." . ' The True Test. In an interesting statement prepared by Professors David, Fawsitt, Hoswell, MacCallum, Peden, Pollock, Doiiglas Stewart, Anderson. Stuart, Watt,' Welsh, Wilson, and W<jodhouse, it is submitted that "the true test of progress is the quality of the teaching impressed upoa the graduates. It is only when tho teacher is enabled to do something more than merely reflect the work of . others, -it is only when he can actirtty contribute to the advancement pf his subject, that he is able, to exert, that influence which results jn a real university education. In this respect our University is at a .great disadvantage, for most of the teachers havo neither sufficient timo nor opportunity to undertake the necessary research;' so that injustice' is being done to the University, and through the University to the people of the State. "If,' now, We ask the question, 'How are the people to. benefit-in fullest measure from tho.UniyeTsityf- we reveal one of the shortcomings of the present. Bill. One of its main objects is to bring university education within the reach of a greater number, and this object is wholly coinmeudable. But it is'a "first condition of success that the university staff, and equipment should be adequate to cope with the increase, whereas the Uniyersitj; is already unable to deal satisfactorily with present demands. The Bill is putting the oart before the liorse in.providing for an increase of students without first securing the efficient teaching of those already in. attendance. 1 "Tlio Universitv does'not fulfil its function, unless, in addition to providing adequately trained graduates in the various faculties, it'alb succeeds in producing leaders of scientific or literary thought. Oh the most material basis, it would ,J»y' the State bettor to undertake, in the. first instance, the niuch-needed improvement of the University departments now established, and thus to increase the value of each graduate to the community."

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