RHODES’ SCHOLARS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 July 1924, Page 13

RHODES’ SCHOLARS.

EDTXATIOXAL RESTRICTIONS. WHERE SOME REFORM JS NEEDED. LONDON, May 6. One of the Rhodes .scholars gives expression to his opinions regarding some oi the restrictions under*which he and his fellow students labour at Oxford. He writes with all diffidence on the question, but he feels that the time has arrived lor some one to make a move in the direction of ameliorating, it possible, the existing conditions. ‘Oxford,’’ he says, “offers its unique education iii. three distinct fields—social, athletic, and intellectual. Of the two former nothing need be said-r-T should imagine Oxford supplied all that, could possibly be desired; but of rlie third, which, after all, especially to those of us who are old enough to think should be the one of paramount importance, one must considerably modify one’s praise. “Here, in this ancient seat of learning, surrounded by some of the greatest minds of the day on various subjects, we, from the corners of the world to which this is a chance of lifetime, aie not permitted often even a hope of coming into contact with them To the boy coming from his English public school and from their colonial equivalents, even to the American varsity men, whose course necessitates three to four years’ general work boioie they specialise in their own subject. Oxford and her conservative restrictions are reasonable enough; but to the overseas university man, who. before lie went to his colonial 'varsitv. had decided on his course in life and over since has boon" working for a definite period in that course—her icstrictions, even /her distinct negations in many cases, are extremely galling. j. hrae boon trying assiduously (o avoid bearing .my own ca?o too much m mind am,! have made many inquiries from other overseas men, and t find t am by no means an individual case. My case was simply' that the four yeais work ! did at mv homo university wore so much waste of Lime up lieie counted lor nothing. Consequently, 1 have had to shelve my particular subject for three years, and I am simply taking a. Science B.A.—. which moans, of course, that it will bo some year or two after I go down beloie 1 can quahly. It seem?; to be niore particularly . tho scintific people alfectci.l, and 1. may state there are lar more fiagranl eases than mine even in tins college, | q„it© realise In at no university, far less Oxford, should give her degrees on work done elsewhere but it seems only reasonableshe should unbend enough to meet her more advanced students half-wav, and it is to this end, we hope to work—tmoiigii our homo universities, ‘H has struck me, though T mav be quite wrong, that I,lm failure of by far the majority of Rhodes scholars to Mow iip .at all m public life or public work is probably in large measure due to the stagnating effect mentally produced timing tins critical three years at Oxford by the repression of, or at least, side-tracking of their natural bent and ambition.’’