FROM MANY LANDS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 267, 6 August 1932, Page 11

FROM MANY LANDS

Students at Cambridge HIGH STANDARD OF WORK Students from New Zealand University Colleges who go home to continue their studies at Cambridge University find generally that Cambridge is a much more cosmopolitan place than they have imagined. Mr. F. J. Bennett, of Christchurch, who returned by the Rangltata yesterday, discovered that fact very soon, and he remarked to “The Dominion” that his experience was probably a common one. • The average New Zealander, he said tended to associate Cambridge with the English Public School boy, whereas in point of fact it was made up of students literally from every part of the Empire. There was quite a large Indian contingent, and also many foreigners from the Far East—Siamese, Chinese and Japanese. Not many came from the Continent, but they came from every Imperial country, and, of course, from all over England, Scotland, and Ireland. In every branch of learning the standard was very high, said Mr. Bennett, and this was due largely to the fact that boys specialised at their schools before they went up to Cambridge. For one or two years before

they began at the university, they had generally been concentrating upon the subjects in which they intended to pursue their more advanced studies. A very large proportion of students were getting some kind of support, either from the State or from their college, to enable them to enter and remain at the university. This meant that there were many scholarship holders, which, with the specialisation which took place before the student went up to the university! was responsible for raising the standard of learning among those who were entering the university, and consequently raising the standard of the actual Cambridge degree. Mr. Bennett left New Zealand for England almost exactly two years ago, having gained his M.A. degree before leaving Canterbury College, where he was a prominent student. At Cambridge he has been doing classics and history and has gained his B.A. He went south by last evening's ferrysteamer.