UNIVERSITY COLLEGE EXAMINATIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6868, 5 March 1883, Page 5

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE EXAMINATIONS.

Atythe meeting of the Senate of the Hew Zeeland University on Friday the following discussion took place, ae repotted in the Otago Daily Timet Bev Mr Habeas moyed—“ That the paiaing of college examination* be not required ai a necessary condition preliminary to the obtaining of a degree; and that teachers be no longer admitted to a degree on exceptional conditions.” In supporting the motion, the mover said that his principal object was to endeavour to deal in a satisfactory way with the teachers who desired to obtain degrees, and whose privileges conferred by the present statute would expire with the present year. A great many teachers had availed themselves of the privilege granted, and there were signs of a large increase in the number of those who were willing to make use of it, if it were extended. He would be sorry to see the privileges of the teachers curtailed, but at the same time ho would very much prefer to see the means of admission to a degree made such that there should be no necessity for an exceptional statute in favour of teachers oro£ any other class. Althoughoertain provisions had been made in the statute passed lost year, there must still remain to all persons wishing to take the degree without attending the lectures the great difficulty that they could not keep terms without at all events passing the annual examination of the college on whose books their names were placed. 'Xo that restrictxm, which he was sorry had not been removed along with others last year, he had one or two objections. The college work would take a special shape according to the idiosyncrasies of She professor, and according to his view of the necessities of a special class of students, and his view would surely determine the character of the college examinations for the year. Those who did not attend the lectures would therefore labour under enormous disadvantages when they were required to pass a college examination, for a .student who might be able to pass creditably a general examination would probably rail to pass the college .examination. In order really to give effect to the privileges secured to nonresident students last session by Sir Q. M. O’Borke’s amendment, they should do away with requiring the students to pass the college examination. Another objection was that to insist upon students passing the college examination as a condition precedent to the degree examination was practically to make the college co-examiners, while the spirit of the Act under which the University existed was that the examination for degree should be by the Hew Zealand University. If this view was adopted by the vote of the Senate, the opportunity of passing lorthe degme’by examination alone would be id wide that there would be no need to exempt teachers, as at present, from tho matriculation examination It might seem that ho was proposing to place an additional burden upon teachers, but his desire was that they should not be placed in an exceptional position. If, however, it became plain that the first half of the resolution would be lost, he would ask leave to withdraw it altogether, because be desired that the teachers’ privileges should not be taken from them so long as the door of entrance to a degree was as strait as at present for general students, but it would, ho thought, b» perfectly, fair to make it a condition of holding a scholarship that the college examinations should be passed.

Professor Brown seconded the motion, though to a certain extent he feared that it would interfere vri'h the efficiency of college work. He wished to vote as a member of the Senate of the University and as a teachor. At * meeting of the Teachers’ Institute, recently, this question had been brought forward, and it was then shown that many teachers were absolutely unable to take the degree, because the Committees would not give them leave to attend examinations, and that there were some who lived at such a distance as to be unable to go to them. The hardships which were made apparent caused him to change lus mind about these regulations. In his own interests, of course, he ought to vote against the motion, because it would reduce the number of those who would attend the annual examinations j but be felt DOtnjpelled to taka the view expressed by Mr Habens.

Sir G. U. O’Horke dissented entirely from the view taken fey the amor and seconder of the resolution. When last session ho moved to exempt persons living at a distance, or whois time wa» fully oooupied, from attend* log the lectures, he never contemplated (hat they should bo relieved from pawing the college examinations. Ho thought the very foot of such exemptions rendered-it more obligatory that they should pass the examinations. At the only University he was acquainted with the principle adopted by them last session had been recognised for, centuries, but tho University absolutely required the students to pass the annual examinations. Ho thought it very desirable that teaoheis should bo encouraged to study for and that such study would re*aot bonetioiaUy upon their pupils,ana he thought (he prot ess ore of the various colleges might do a great deal to assist external students by indicating the books upon which, the examination* would be founded. It would be a matter of great regret to him if the resolutions he had pro* posed last year tended to the abolition of the system Of examination as oondaoted by the colleges, and be was sorry that Mr Habeas had shown a disposition to keep the colleges at "it! iSffc'would like to know how far the orososal was likely to carry them. Since it would not be necessary for students to attend lectures or pass college esaauca'jons, there could clearly be no terms kept, and therefore he presumed they would not be'required to

matrieolato, and in point of fact the whole *y»tem of the Ualvewity, ** hitherto carried on, would be altered. Student* at college* would then be placed at a great disadvantage, since would bo compeUed to keep terms from which the other* were exempted. Professor Shand thoroughly ecdorted what the last speaker had said with regard to the resolution, fie wished to point out that, if the morion were adopted, only a (light barrier would remain for candidates to get over before they obtained their degrees. 'Xhe m&trieulation examination was entirely inadequate, ita object being simply to ascertain whether the candidate had sufficient ability and had received sufficient instructions to enable him to benefit by a course of instruction in the college. If the annual examination were abolished there would remain a single examination for the degree, and there was no University in the world that gave degree* upon such tonne. Another point was, that doing away with the necetsity of passing the college examinations would be ruinous to the affiliated instltuticns, and the Sew Zealand University as an examining body, should not do anything to injure the efficiency of the teaching institutions. Xhe spirit of the resolution, he also thought, was entirely opposed to the policy recommended by the Boyal Commission, which was to draw the connection os close as possible between the University and the colleges. It wo* all very well for tho London University to ignore the different colleges where students were prepared for examination, but Is Hew Zealand that would be an extremely absurd position to take up. Both the University end the colleges were founded by the State, and it would be anomalous for a State-founded instllution like the University to ignore other Statefounded institutions established for the purpose of enabling to obtain degrees. Tho Bar Dr Boss by understood the morion to refer to etudente already exempted from college lectures, and it appeared to him an obvious inference that they ought not to insist upon the attendance of such - persons at the examinations. If the candidates could stand the University examination—and the standard might be fixed as high as they pleased—surely there was no danger of the value of a degree becoming depreciated in consequence of allowing free competition to students to come forward and contest In examination. It was true that those outside would always suffer something, from the fact that they were not enjoying the eoilegiate life enjoyed by those attending the lectures in connection with -our higher educational system. Surely if those who were so heavily handicapped were unable to corns up to the standard the University fixed, they would be panning an impolitic course and not consulting the interests of higher education if they forbade such persons from taking degrees. The yioe-Ohaacellor expressed the opinion that the University could not proparly impose any examinations on undergraduates, excepting so far as they were members of affiliated colleges, unless the examiners were directly appointed by the Senate. The degree granted by the University was, however, more than the result of the examination; it was an evidence that the ntudont had followed a coarse of study for a certain time, and with the exception of teachers and those exempted under Sir Cl. M. O’Eorke’e motion, he thought they should insist upon the attendance of undergraduates. It would, he thought, be a very unfortunate thing to disturb the regulations, excepting as for as to enable teachers to continue to enjoy the advantage of taking University degrees. Professor von Hoast was of opinion that teachers should pass the matriculation examination, for if they could nut pass that, it showed they were unfit to go up for examination, and it would be for better that they should bo enabled to gauge their knowledge. Dr Solmond was of opinion that Mr Habeas had not made clear to them how they could wisely accomplish the object he had in view, and he considered that is would not be wise to pass the resolution, Mr Fraser thought that some diitinct provision should he made for the examination of students who did not attend the college lectures.

Iha Bcv Mr Habeas replied at length, da* daring that none could justly accuse him of being an intentional enemy of the colleges, and said that while he regretted that the decision of the Senate would be adverse, a* it evidently would be, ha was quite prepared to submit, though he would like the matter to go to a division. The Chancellor felt called upon to say that it appeared to him that in one part of the ’ debate an unfortunate element had been introduced. He referred to the allusions which had been made to the protecting system of those who voted against the resolution. He certainly was apposed to the resolution as it stood, but not ; on that ground. He thought the colleges ought to sink or swim on their own strength, and not have any protection or any monopoly. He was opposed to the resolution because he believed the Senate, in conferring the degrees, vouched for a certain amount of learning, information, and study, and ha believed it- could not vouch for that by a single examination j it must know something of the history of the students. It was fallacious to suppose that the Act praeluded the University from imposing the existing precedent conditions, for it could cot be expected that everyone who was willing to present Himself should bo examined. It appeared to him that they mutt have some test of the knowledge of candidates, otherwise they might hare persona coming up for a degree who supposed themselves very learned, but had no learning whatever. Ihe Her Mr Habeas explained that he had not had any intention of imputing motives. Dr Hector said that the quest ion of the extension of privileges could not be again discussed if the present motion woe negatived. The Rev Mr Habeas said that if that was likely to be the result of going to a division upon the motion, he would withdraw it, and it was accordingly withdrawn.