EDUCATION NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15142, 5 November 1912, Page 4

EDUCATION NOTES.

BY, MENTOR. Owing to the recent controversy in local educational circles over the question of men versus women for the higher asI'Stantshipa in our public schoolis, much interest has been taken in the election of irepresentatives to the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute, to be held in January next at New Plymouth. Quite a number, of "tickets" were issued. There was a " woman's ticket," a "country teachers' ticket," a "male assistants' ticket," and possibly others. The various "tickets" were so conflicting that no one could forecast with any degree of certainty, what the outcome would be. The result, as declared by the scrutineers on Saturday last, is certainly surprising, for not a single woman has been elected. And yet women outnumber the men in the profession. At first fight it would seem that the great majority of women teachers do not endorse the a'ggre.«sive stand taken up by the executive of the Women Teachers' Association. Most certainly they have not given general support to those of their own sex who stood for election; while one candidate, who was excluded from the women's ticket, has come out very high up on. the list of those elected. On the other hand, it may be pointed out that a majority of those elected are in sympathy with the claim made by the women that'the position of second assistant should be thrown open to competition, and that the applicant who stands highest on the graded list should be appointed, irrespective of sex.

The explanation is probably this: That the teachers, as a whole, have refused to be bound by any " ticket," but have voted straight out for those candidates, who, in their own opinion, will most worthily represent them at the "Teachers' Parliament." It is, however, a matter for regret that no women representatives have been elected. By virtue of their work and of their numbers, women are fairly entitled to representation. Among those who stood for election were several women who would worthily hold their own in any conference, and their exclusion will prove a distinct loss.

It is announced that one of the Auckland representatives, Mr. T. U. Wells, M.A., has had the high honour conferred upon him of being elected unopposed to the presidency of the New Zealand Educational Institute for the ensuing year, 1913-14. Mr. Wells has long taken' an active part in local educational affairs. He has served for many years on the executive of the local institute, he was for two years its president, while more recently he served on the Royal Commission on Education. He has now had corferred upon him the highest honour that it; is in the power of his fellow teachers of the Dominion to bestow.

The annual report on higher education for 1911, has just been issued, and from it I take the following paragraph on the work of the affiliated colleges:—" There were 1776 students actually in attendance at the four university colleges, an increase of 57 over the number for the previous year. Of these 74 were graduates, 1245 were undergraduates, and 457 were unmatriculated students. In addition to the matriculated students mentioned above there were 124 students attached to the various university colleges, but exempt from lectures—that is, they were prevented by distance or by the necessity of earning their livings from attending lectures at the college, but were allowed to keep terms, except in certain science and professional subjects, by passing the annual college examination. It is evident that, as these students do not come into direct contact with college life, the possession of a degree in their case possesses an entirely different significance from that in the case of students who actually attend the University. They can hardly be considered University students, in the strict sense of the term, since the only function of the University in their case is to examine their work and grant diplomas."

It will be remembered that the. Uni- | versity reform party, in their crusade [ against the present system of external examiners for university degrees, obtained opinions from a number of outside authorities on the value, of: external as opposed to internal examinations. One of 'the authorities to whom appeal was made Professor Ramsay, of University College, London —was very uncomplimentary in his remarks on the standard of work at the New Zealand University. He wrote : The standard is not maintained. There is no standard, and your degrees aro of absolutely no value in Europe.," This criticism is replied to by Mr. J. C. Adams, chairman of the Canterbury College Board of Governors, in the annual report for last year. Mr. Adams says: "This statement (of Professor Ramsay) was made in contradiction* to the assertions of those who wished to maintain the present system of external examiner's, and who asserted that (1) the standard is maintained, (2) the teaching is stimulated by the outside examinations, and (3) the value of the decree is greatly enhanced. Such a statement might do a great deal of harm and cause many to believe that the recognition of the New Zealand degree by the older universities was merely an act of courtesy, and that such recognition was not based on a high standard of work."

"Fortunately," continues Mr. Adams, '' I have been able to obtain the opinions of examiners who are well acquainted with the papers done by students in England, and also with those done by students in New Zealand, and are able to speak with authority, as they examine in one or other of the Home universities and also for the New Zealand degree. They are as follows — Professor Tout, of Manchester University, says of the papers submitted to him : ' I cannot speak too highly of the solid excellence of the pass work.' Mr. B. H. Leonard, 8.C.L., wrote of the papers he examined in 1906: 'The work generally has left a most favourable impression on my mind, and I think it fully reaches the standard of work in our principal English universities.' In 1909 lis remarked : ' The pass papers compare very favourably with those of English universities.' In 1910, he reported: 'In both subjects the candidates, on the whole, appear to me to compare not unfavourably with the candidates in our English universities, particularly as regards the work on the pass papers.' Concerning the work he examined last year Mr. Leonard wrote: ' New Zealand is to be congratulated on the solidarity in thought, reading and writing, which it maintains with much of the best work which is being done in the universities at Home, and on its familiarity with the best and most recent literature, which deals critically and scientifically with the subjects.' "

"Professor Bastable, of Trinity College, Dublin, wrote of the papers that lie examined in 1910: 'The work of the candidates certainly compares favourably with the work done in most British universities.' Professor Strong, of Liverpool University, reported in 1910: ' The standard is quite as good as at any Home university, except perhaps in the best honours, for which more time ought to be given;' and last year he wrote: ' The standard for the pass seems to me more satisfactory in the University of New Zealand than in our local universities.'""

"Other references," says Mr. Adams, "that might be quoted are not so direct in their wording, but still are such as to point out that a high standard is required in New Zealand, and while such a standard is maintained we need have no fear of the value of external examination. I do not wish for a. moment to be thought to be trying to place the New Zealand University colleges on a pinnacle of perfection, but merely wish to do justice to our educational institutions. Until we have residential colleges, and many of them, we cannot expect that the. fall benefits of a university course can anything like compare with those of older "lands nor can we hope that, except in very rare cases, our honours men can compare with those who take the highest honours at" the Homo university when we know that those