VICTORIA COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 99, 23 October 1913, Page 4

VICTORIA COLLEGE

ANENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION CRITICISM AND COMMENDATION. It is proposed in the "Victoria College Amendment Bill, among other things, to remodel the constitution, and give th© Professorial Board direct representation on the College Council. During the debate in tho Legislative Council yesterday, the measure was freely criticised and freely commended. The Minister, in ' moving the second reading of the Bill explained that, with the exception of the substantial alterations to the constitution, and the provision for professorial representation on the council, the amendments were machinery clauses. The constitution sought was similar to that granted to Auckland last year. (The main features of the measure have been published previously.) Continuing, Mr. Bell pointed out that the fees at Victoria College were lower than at any of the other University colleges. The r*6ult "was that its revenue was very email, and the college muet necessarily be dependent to a great extent on th© State. The difficulty was that while a professor could manage a class of, say 40, when that class grew to 50 or 60, the, services of a lecturer had to be requisitioned, and the fees of the extra number did not nearly meet the extra expense of the lectureship. It was proposed in the Bill to empower the College Council to charge a general tuition fee above the ordinary class fee, and there was a battle in progress, said the Minister, between those who wanted the fees raised to a level of the other colleges, and those who were of a contrary opinion. PROPOSALS FOR CANTERBURY. The council was entitled, in the opinion of the Hon. G. J. Smith, to know who promoted this and the Canterbury College Bill. He thought it was hardly fair that the City' Council should hay« representation to the exclusion of other local bodies. The Canterbury representative predicted strong protest against the Canterbury College Bill when it was submitted. PRIMARY EDUCATION SUFFERING. Hon. Mr. Samuel thought that the ingenuity in constituting this electoral college must commend itself to all as showing great analytical skill — he .would not go further. Referring to the money spent on higher education, Mr. Samuel contended that the primary education was suffering in consequence of that expense.^ And the results obtained from the higher education were not at all satisfactory. Our education system was not fitting children to become good and valuable citizens — this particularly applied to the country districts. Hon. Mr. Anstey pointed out that the constituency which elected the Council was composed practically of educationists. He could not see that the public ' was represented at all. Considering the education and college endowments, ho thought that people with some knowledge of law should have representation. He was well aware that Victoria College had little or no such endowments, but it looked as though its constitution was to be taken as a model. In brief, Mr. Anstey considered that the public and the tenants of the reserves before mentioned should have representation. Complaint was made by the speaker of the plural voting in the Bill — this should be limited. Hon. Mr. Sinclair thought that the prostitution of the college council was in accordance with the scheme of New Zealand's education system. ' All the various grades, from primary upward, were provided with representatives on the council. Probable duplication wao foreseen in clauses (c) (members elected by the Middle District, Court of Convocation), andT(g) (election by certificated teachers). WHOLE SYSTEM SHOULD BE OVERHAULED. Hon. Mr. Luke hoped that if any change were made the fees should' not be large enough to put obstruction in the way of those bright children whoso parents were unable to pay much towards their university education. He agreed with a previous speaker that primary education in the country was suffering. He would have liked to sea the Government* go into the whole question of the primary, secondary, and university system, and see to it that the basis of our education structure should be firmly fixed. He thought that representation of the professors and of the City Council was a proper step. The council represented a very large number of people. , Hon. Mr. Jenkinson expressed strong opposition to the proposal that the professorial board should be able to elect two of its members to the college council. Personally, he agreed with another councillor that the primary education should have absolutely the first consideration. He, too, advocated the establishment of the whole scheme of education on a new and more stable basis. In contradistinction to the latter speaker, Hon. Mr. Callan urged that the university should not be starved. In reply, the Minister, referring to the representation of the City Council on the college council, said that body stood in the position of being the homo of the college, and it was advisable, he thought, that it should be encouraged to take an interest, not only inside the college, but beyond its walls. In reply to an enquiry, the Minister said that the Bill piovided for a certain increase of fees. The Bill was read a second time. ' The Minister said that he did not apprehend that the Canterbury College Bill (on the same lines as the Victoria College Bill) would be gone on with. On his motion it was discharged from the day's order paper.