UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

Evening Post, Volume XXIII, Issue 51, 3 March 1882, Page 2

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

Hitherto the South Island alone has been deemed worthy of being afforded any facilities for obtaining a University education in New Zealand. Duuedin and Christchurch both have very extensive (and expensive) educational appliances of this class in the shape of University Colleges, each with a large and well-paid staff of Professors. The North Islai d has been tacitly set down as either too well-educated already to need University education at all, or else not

sufficiently civilised to appreciate it. We fear the latter must have been the predominant impression, for we observe that it in at length considered desirable to establish in the North Island, a branch of the New Zealand University. The University Senate is now sitting at Auckland, and the Chancellor, io his report, brought this matter under notice. On the Chancellor's recommendation a somewhat curious discussion took place in committee of the Senate. Sir Maurice O'Rorke stated that the Premier had expressed his intention not to allow the vota of passed by Parliameat for thi9 purpose to lapse, but to leave the disposal of the mopey to the Attorney- General and Sir Maurice. The latter gentleman accordingly proposed to establish forthwith a University College in Auckland. On this, the Rev. Mr. Habens pointed out the propriety of affording like facilities to Wellington. Bnt Sir Manrice O'Korke then made a very remarkable disclosure. He said he was personally in favour of establishing a University College in Wellington, and had suggested it to the Government, but they replied that they considered Wellington waa situated ivfficiently near Christchurck, and so they declined to entertain the proposal for establishing a college anywhere but at Auckland. This is interesting and instructive. It is quite goc d enough, it seems, for the metropolis ot the colony and the Seat of Government to be a mere appendage of Christchurch, notwithstanding its separation from that place by some 200 miles of sea. If Wellington youtha require University education, lot them go to Christohurch for it ; what are they that the colony Bhould provide a local institution for them? True, that ia done for Dunedin and Christchurch, and is proposed to be done for Auckland, bnt Wellington may not aspire to any suoh advantages. This is very pleasant reading. We bave no doubt the people of Wellington will be duly and meekly sensible of their unworthinesa to enjoy collegiate advantages for themselves or their Eons. Still, it does appear at first sight a trifla unfair and incongruous that the capital of the colony should be tho one city of New Zealand selected to be " left out in the cold " as regards University education. What really ought to be done is to place the whole University establishment in Wellington, not merely as the colonial metropolis, but as the natural and convenient contro, abolishing the local institutions in Dunedin and Christchurch, and not founding a new ono in Auckland. This would be tho natural, proper, and eensible coarse, but it is hardly necessary to cay that we have little hope of its being adopted before tho Greek Kalends.