AN EDUCATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

Evening Star, Issue 14250, 27 December 1909, Page 2

AN EDUCATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

UNIVERSITY REFORM* ISo. u. We .AJSftttlllle ±ne pUD?icaiion. of a, '-.'/au of short replies and trellNMnsidered articles on the above sublet, and direct the especial attention .."f educationists to the opinions of gentlemen whose standing in the academic and scholastic world is generally acknowledged. The replies are given to a set of questions which took this shape:—

1. Should tho University Colleges become Universities in fact, and be given the power to grant degrees? 2. Should the governing bodies of such Universities bo nominative, or partly electivo and partlv nominative?

3. What 1 should be the tenure of the Senate and of the Councils of tho University Colleges?

V you a PP rove °* tne continuance of tho preseut method of conducting examinations for degrees outside of New Zealand? If not, what reform do you suggest? 5. Is the standard of examinations, as conducted by the New Zealand University, higher or lower than that set in British or Australian Universities. If lower, in what respects? 6. How far is tho work of the New Zealand University in touch with the life of the community, and what should be done to bring it"in closer touch? For example, what has the University done, or what does it propose to do, for"the assistance and advancement of the agricultural, commercial, mercantile, and industrial forces of this Dominion?

Mr J. R. Don, M.A., D.Sc:— 1. Emphatically, no. Anv little v;.lue that a New Zealand degree liiav have outs'dc Sew Zealand (this value, I chouLl say, 13 not alarmingly great), depends on the fact that the New Zealand Universitv represents the whole Dominion. 2. I should like to sec on the governing bodies of our colleges representatives (elected of nominated, - iio matter which) of al! those public bodies who should be interested in our university system, [n Ota go, for example, we mk'h't. well have members representing (1) Education Hoards. (2) High School Hoards of Governors, (3) Technical Glasses Association, (4) the Corporation of Dunedin. (5) the Ghamher of t.'ommerce, (6) the Krnployers' Association, (7) Trades and Labor Council, etc. Willi regard to the nomination of certain member,-, by Government. Our University colleges arc becoming, and must in the future become to a still greater extent. Stateinstitutions. It seems advisable, therefore, that certain members should be nominated by Government, preferably, I should say, by the Education Committee of the House, many of whom are graduates of Xew Zealand University. 3. As to what should.'be tiie tenure of the Senate. I don't know enough about the business of the Senate to give an opinion ; but I should say that, speaking generally, a term of five years is long enough. If a man is a good man he will probably go back again, and if lie isn't, five years is long enough for him to hold office. * 4. Most certainly not. The only advantage claimed for the present cumbrous and rostly system is that it is supposed to give our degrees a greater value in the eyes of folk both within and outside New* Zealand. I feel sure that, as a matter of fact, most of those who employ our graduates don't know, and don't care, who examined them for their degrees. The possession of a degree is meiely a guarantee that the bolder has passed a certain time in the study of certain subjects; that, in iact, he has been reasonably studious and industrious during certain" yearn of his life. His value to the State'depends altogether on the kiiri of work he docs after he has taken lib degree. It seems to me that wo of the New Zealand University have in the past been inclined to overrate :he value of a degree obtained by passing •titf ..examinations set by outside exuninere. I fancy that, if wo knew a littie more of the contempt .(expressed, let ma add. in a perfectly well-bred and quit--: good-natured way) with which the member

of an older university looks on o/ii/coloninl degree, we should think less of the Value' lliat ike JUiglish examiner gives lo our degrees. HonesUy, we might- double thcdilficulty of our examinations to-morrow, 3iKi still make no better show in ths eyes of the folk at Home. We New Zealanders are, of course, "the salt of tlio earth," but we must rememhvr that we've only a handful of sail, after all. So much for the outsider. Xow. with regard to the reputation of our decrees among our own people. Already we grant degrees (or their equivalent) in Medicine and Mining. Are these rbwrees considered of small valuo by i heNew Zealand settlers because they are granted as the result of examination by

lueul lllell .' With to the course timt may 1>? suggested for the conduct of examination*;, if they are to be conducted locally, there is, naturally, room for great difference <it opinion. The old "tag." " Quot homines, tot eentcntire,' 1 applies here. I suppose. My own opinions, given ior what t'liey ;iro worth, are somewhat as follows : A. Objections to the Present System. —The chief objections to the system of "outside" examiners are, it seems to me, the following. These objection.-; apply, of course, to any system, local or outside, in which all the marks are given for a final written examination, in which the unfortunate student is expected lo unload in three, six, or twelve hours the work of several, years. (1) The system is a. powerful incentive to cram, and to cram of the worst kind—the cram that produces a student (save the mark!) who can in the shortest time assimilate enough to satisfy the examiner, and who can in the shortest time forget all about what he has so easily prepared for examination. (2) The system puts a. premium on "examiner-dodging." The student who knows by instinct, or because he has studied text books prepared by the examiner, what questions are likely to be asked, comes up smiling with first class honors: the less expert " examiner-dodger " must bo uonteul with a .^eond" class, or even with it "wooden spoon." A case in point: Two science students (X and Y), whom I knew, worked together. Jn their class examinations they ran " neck and neck." In a rather successful college career thev captured about an equal number of iirst places. Both wont up for honors in the same science, both intending to procerd to the- li.Uc, and both hoping, if thev obtained iirst class honors in science, to go on for the D.Se. degree live vears after completing the ]>..Se. Two 'days before the "honors" examination X unearthed some papers written by the examiner on the subject of ••solution." lhosD ho showed to V, and" sugse steJ that tliey should worK the subject tip together. (The views of the examiner, by the way, are long since exploded, but they were of value at the time.) Y thought it wasn't worth while. X, however, stole some hours, and worked up the examiner's view of the subject. At the "honors" examination, in which the work of years was supposed to be tested in six hours, X hauled in "neck and heels" the examiner's results on solution 1, of course, didn't. Result: X got -i first class, and after obtaining the B He could go on for the coveted D.Sc. degree' Y was labelled a second class man, and of course, could go no further \ jjstill inclined to think that his reference

Iho hrst ot the 6eries appeared on November 27, the second on December 1 the third on December 4, the fourth ori December 8, the. fifth on December 11, the sixth en December 15, the seventh on December 18, the ciulith on DtomU Qi the-ninth on December 22, the- tonth.ori December 24.

to the examiner's theory of solution turned the scale in his favor. B. Proposals for Improvement.—My v own proposals for -obviating -tho;, abuses of the system are as follows. I may say that whenever I have had a free hand I have always conducted examinations on these principles:—Pour hundred marks 'are given, for examinations set during tho session, and only one -hundred for the final examination. Thus, four-fifths of' the total marks can be gained by the Btudent who works honestly during tho whole session, while the "loaf," with a spurt at the end, is decidedly at a discount. Of the four hundred marks gained during the session, 100 are given (in a science subject) for neat and accurate practical work, 100 for oral explanation of processes (a most important part of the student's work, and a part that my experience of German university work makes me appreciate more fully), and 200 are given for written monthly examinations, leaving 100 marks for the final written and oral examination. This final examination (written and oral if necessary) would be conducted by the professor,' assisted by an outside assessor, just as the medical examinations of the New Zealand University are at present conducted. At this examination the. assessor would, of course, he able to give marks aggregating only one-fifth 'of the total that a student could gain, but—and this is the important point—he would also review the marks given during tho session, for all papers carrying marks during the session would lie preserved and handed to him, along will) all questions set during the session. Tjn-.sc he might, if he pleased, examine in detail. There' would be no practical difficulty about the mattor, and the assessor would be at liberty to make to the Senate any recommendations he thought, necessarv if he found the professor either 100 'liberal or too niggardly in his marking. This system is no new thing. At present every primary school teacher in New Zealand holds three examinations yearly Jho ijussticms set bv the teacher and the pupils' answers are kept for reference, and are examined bv the Education Board's inspector at his annual }i3U. I am sure the enterprising publisher of the - Q MiU . U M-ly Examination iW.e Book would at short notice prepare an examination book suitable for university students. In science subjects the practical note books would, in the same way. be available for inspection bv tno assessor. A few of the advantages of some such scheme of examination" are iriven below : ° 1. It would greatly lessen the danger of overstrain in the case of the eamcet student. I am sure that a great deal of the overstrain tint exists is due to worry. The student, knowing the 'supreme importance of doing well at the final examination, "worries about it," and .succeeds only in doing badlv. This is true. I 'am sure, of our women students especially. 2. The system would cn.-,uie" that the student worked faithfully during ihe whole session. The ' type of student, all tno common at present, who is content to go as you please . during the session, with a worse than useless sprint in October, would soon become extinct. 3. During his three years' course as an undergraduate the student could give more attention to hiu "honors" work, and the scieme student (if, indeed, he doesn't become extinct in Xew Zealand before that time) might even learn a little of "research'' methods.

5. In my opinion, a university that estimates the value of a student's work, as we do. by a single final examination, must set a lew standard for its graduates. Really, the simplification of a syllabus in such a case is a mere matter of common honesty and common huniai.ity. It is an attempt, in fact, to bring the \vcrk of the syllabus down to what a student with an exceptionally good memory may be ejected to retain, without too great an effort, long enough to be able to satisfy the examiner If the standard set by the University of New Zealand i< lowe"r than that set by other universities in which success depends on passing a single final examination— (Mind, 1 don't sayV it i'.< lower)—that simply means that our Senate is more humane cc iioncster tliiiii the senates of other iiiiivemtii«; simiIsiriy eitfntetl. In the latter connection ( Kin reminded of the cxtrnordniarv '■ leaving certificate'' oi the French, eonntiy schools. This leaving certificate includes a svl'abus of agriculture, chemistry, physics, biology, etc.. quite difficult enough for a ••firat class lienors " man in aviy oi these subjects. The examination must be pas'.ed by country children (many of whom make" about SO per cent, of the passible attendances) at theage'of twelve years! Of couiv;?. the examination i-: the merest farce, and, iuterT'rcted as it is by the benevolent French inspector of schools, probably docs no great harm to the children ; but. to c:iv the least, the syllabus isn't honest! ' I:i the suine "M-y on: 1 St'imb \m\A aYnv u .> a pretention ttiim tin; piTSvmt Oil?, ilUtl \\u\i\] tluit the more difficult pari.s were to' be omitted at the final examination. To their credit, be it said, they haven - ! done ao. 6. When we consider that, we arc a new country, with only one million people, we must, I think, admit that the Dominion (not the .New Zealand University, which merely exciniiie-<. and would scorn to Irnr/i) has made excellent provision for the teaching of technical subjects generally. Our University Colleges have, in my opinion, kept well abreast of public requirements in this matter. Medicine, dentistry, mining, engineering, music, etc.. are all more or less" thoroughly taught. Indeed. Mi Editor, has not our local college arranged to watch over the fli</r,!i(,n of our fclbw-snbiccts by establishing a, chair of Domestie'Scienee ? One may oucstion whether or not our technical education is being carried out along the right lines, whether, for example, our system of agricultural instruction makes any use of the promising material provided by our District High Schools, etc., etc., but "that's another stnrv. - '