CANADA'S UNIVERSITIES

Evening Star, Issue 19272, 10 June 1926, Page 2

CANADA'S UNIVERSITIES

TWENTY-ONE THOUSAND STUDENTS GREAT EDUCATIOIIAL HEADWAY Canada is the Scotland of the American continent, geographically, vocally, educationally. She is a young country, compared with auld Beotia, but her strides, at least as far as popular education is concerned, have been even more marked than those of the misty land whose sons have shaped Canada’s speech and have done so much to develop her resources (states Professor W. T, Allison, of the University of Manitoba). Canada’s care for education is seen perhaps best of all in her university system. She has a population of only 8,788,533, but in her wide-flung provinces there are no loss than nineteen universities, with a total enrolment of over 21,000 students.

According to the 1925 edition of the 1 British Empire University _ Year Book,’ from which the statistics in this article are taken, the following is the attendance roll of full-time students in these larger Canadian universities; — Dalhousie 782, Laval 1,705, Montreal 3,049, Queen’s 1,596, Manitoba 2,207, Saskatchewan 714, Alberta 1,341, and British Columbia 1,257.

MOSTLY STATE INSTITUTIONS. There is scarcely a college or university of the United States where one or more Canadians are not to bo found on -the faculty, and as for other Canadian college-trained individuals who have gone south their name is legion. The majority of the universities of Canada are State institutions. In Western Canada there are four large universities, which receive annual appropriations from the provincial Governments. Affiliated with Manitoba University are three colleges Wesley (United Church), St. John’s (Anglican), and St. Potiface (Roman Catholic) —which, of course, are self-support-ing.

in Eastern Canada the University of Toronto, the University of "Western Ontario in London, the University of Montreal, and the University of jNew Brunswick are maintained by public funds. Macmn.ster University of Toronto is a Baptist institution, which has in affiliation Brandon College, located in Brandon, Man. Victoria University, St. Michael’s College, Trinity University, and Wycliffo College are in affiliation witli Toronto University, and all teach arts as well as theology. They axe maintained by the United, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Churches respectively. Queen’s University of Kingston ; Ont., formerly a Presbyterian institution, has for some years been a private corporation, although it receives an annual grant from the province; Ottawa University is a Roman Catholic institution. M'Gill University is a private corporation, as is Dalhousie of Halifax. Laval university of Quebec and St. Francis Xavier of Antigonish, N.S., are Roman Catholic Universities. Mr. Allison, of Sackville, N. 8., and Aca-dia-University of Wolfvillo, N.S., are maintained by the United Church and the Baptist denomination, respectively. TORONTO AND WINNIPEG. In the above list the appearance of the phrase “ affiliated colleges ” may bo somewhat confusing to American readers. The Universities of Toronto and Winnipeg are examples of the rapprochement of the Canadian University system to that of Oxford. They are made up of what might be called a university college and a number of sister institutions which in most cases confine their teaching to the humanities. In some colleges tho work of tho university curriculum in certain subjects in the higher years is not covered, "the students attending lectures in University College. In Toronto and Manitoba Universities the students of each affiliated college write on examinations conducted by the university, and receive their degrees from the university. Each college has local autonomy as far as discipline, social life, etc., are concerned.

It might be explained that this grouping of colleges within some of onr universities arose in Canada because of pioneering work in education on the part of religious bodies. Victoria College, Toronto, until tho recent church merger a Methodist institution, is in reality a university. It was founded in Cobourg, Ont., m 1836, and was given degree-conferring powers in arts, theology, medicine, and law in 1841. It was_ the first college in tho overseas dominions to receive a royal charter. In 1890, owing to the ever-increasing cost of maintenance, Victoria was federated with tho University of Toronto; it waived its rights to confer the B.A. and M.A. degrees, but it still confers degrees in theology. Trinity University, -Toronto, has had much the same history. Tho relationship of tho affiliated colleges to the Canadian University is, therefore, somewhat different from that of Oxford colleges to the denominating body. Both in Toronto and Winnipeg, where this condition prevails, there is rivalry between the students of the various colleges in sports and scholarships, but it is usually free from bitterness, ami there can be no doubt that a richer and more varied university life has been a good effect of this partial and unintentional approach to the Oxford system. HONOR COURSES. Another feature of the Canadian university system which differentiates if from that of the United States is the prevalence of honor courses lor the B.A. degree. As at Oxford, so at various Canadian universities, a student may bo a pass or an honor man. The honor student specialises usually in the third and fourth years, although in some institutions ho does so throughout his course. The University of Manitoba has just introduced a five-year course for honor students. The elective system does not obtain in Canadian universities to the same extent as in American schools of higher learning. Another outstanding feature of the Canadian university is tho prevalence of the English lecture system. Of course in Latin, French, and German classes the recitation method is absolutely necessary, hut in the majority of subjects the teacher asks few or no questions; he gives two or throe fiftyminute lectures per week, and tho students are required to pass examinations at the close of each term. This svstem has mnnv critics, but there is this to he said for it, that it has the effect of throwing the student upon his own resources. With the exception of the FronrhCanadinn universities ad the institutions of higher learning in Canaria are 00-educational and the attendance of men and women students is about equal.