UNIVERSITY DEGREES AND WOMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8581, 1 June 1891, Page 5

UNIVERSITY DEGREES AND WOMEN.

The subjoined correspondence, of. which wo give an abstract, has taken place on the above subject, between Professor Ald is, of the Auckland University, and the Hon. W. P. Reeves (Minis tec,of Education): — Professor Aldis commences' his communication to the Minister of Education by calling his attention to ccrtain correspondence between the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand and himself (whioh he encloses), with regard to the recognition by the University of degree certificates granted by the University of Cambridge to students of Girton and Nownham Colleges. The Professor then goes on to say:— "These, as you are probably aware, are colleges for women, carried oil under the sanction of the University, in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, the students being subject to precisely the same conditions of residence, and allowed to enter for the Honour Degree Examinations on the some terms as. male undergraduates. Womon who succeed in passing these examinations have satisfied all the educational and residential tests for the degree of B.A. That they receive only a certificate, and nob the title of 8.A., is a consequence, not of any shortcoming on their part, but of the conservative feeling prevalent in the University of Cambridge. One such student, Mies K. Browning, of Girton College, who holds a degree certificate of honours in the moral sciences tripos in 1886, has been for some time residing in i New Zealand, ■' and acting as assistant! teacher in the Girls' High School at Napier. This lady applied to the Senate of the University of New Zealand, at their recent meeting, that her degree certificate might be . recognised as en titling . her to be admitted .to , the B.A. degree- ;of ; our' own university. / Had she been a man, with precisely the . same . - educational qualification, . this - request would . have been granted at once as a matter of course. In support) of her application, I wrote a lettct to the Chancellor, a copy of which, and of the official reply, is enclosed. You will see that the Senate plead legal incapacity to entertain the application. As the matter is one of considerable importance to. Miss Browning, affecting her status in regard to the educational system of New Zealand, of which you are the head, may I ask you to give your careful- consideration to the following questions : —First, are the Sfenate of the University oerrect in their contention that they cannot legally grant Miss Browning's request? Secondly, if the first question ,be answered ' in the affirmative, is •it .not desirable by legislation to rcmovo their incapacity, which clearly causes a grave injustice in any such case as the above?/' In regard to the first question, it may be pointed out that the University already docs practically recognise examinations inferior to that which Miss Browning, has passed, as qualifying- for its degree, inasmuch as men with a Cambridge pass degree are "admitted ad eundem gradwn merely on payment of a foe. It can hardly therefore be a violation of the University Charter or Act to grant the title oil B.A. in such a case as the one to which 1 have drawn your attention. If, however, the words of the Act do technically render the concession illegal, would it not be desirable and easy for the Government to piass an Enabling Act, empowering the Senate to confer the degree of B.A. on women who . elsewhere had fulfilled conditions which, had they been men, would have entitled them to that degree, ou the same term? as admission ad eundem ijradum is now given to men." '' , ; The Rev. W.J, Habens, Under Secretary of' the Education Department, replies to the letter by direction • of the " Minister of Education, and we quote the material portion, under date April 23:— "I am to say that Mr. Reeves sympathises with you In your sense of the hardship of which Miss Browning's case is an example, bub that ho does not consider it within the. bounds of probability that he will be able to add a Bill dealing with this subject to the large number of Bills on matters of pressing importance that are being, prepared for the consideration of Parliament at its next session. In the meantime ho does not think that his position as Minister requires or permits him to pass official criticism on the resolutions of tho University Senate." v Professor" Aldis, under date of Oth May, thanks the Minister of Education for his reply; and proceeds to remark, "I am gratified by your expression of sympathy with tho hardship of which Miss Browning's case is an example. I am sorry that, assuming the reality of the legal disability allegeu by the."Senate, it should be out of your power to hold out any hope of removing it by legislation. In the meanwhile I would rospecfully point out to.you that the Senate of the University is not a body of experts in law, nor : specially qualified to decide a legal point. Considerable public interest has been aroused on this question, and tho opinion is not universally held by persons' qualified to judge . that tho disability alleged really exists. It would therefore bo a satisfaction to the public if, without passing any criticism on the resolution of .the Senate, you would obtain an authoritative opinion from the law officers of the ,Crown ns to whether either tho charter of the University or tho University Act do really prevent the Senate from legally granting Miss Browning's request. , Such an opinion, if affirmative, would tend to strengthen the' Senate in the esteem of the public, and in any case would make clear to those who wish to remedy the injustice the steps which must, next be taken." 1 -. The Rev. W. if. Habens, under date 9th, acknowledges Professor Aldis'letter, in which he suggests that the Minister of Education should obtain, from tho law officers and make public an opinion with respect to the power vested ,in tho Senate of the University. Tho Under-Secretary, by direction of the Minister, thus replies : —" lam to express the Minister's thanks to you for the suggestion, and to explain that it is not usual to expect the law officers to givo an opinion except for the use of Ministers and for their guidance. If the Senate were to apply for tho opinion of the law officers on the question now under consideration there is no doubt that tho Minister would recommend the Senate to have. recourse to its own legal advisor," .