INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18827, 30 September 1924, Page 5

INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITIES.

'•;';; Sir,—lt cannot be said that M.A. hasi; V succeeded in : ; improving his case I for four ; separate universities; ':■ No; one ; said that J - London, Dublin or : Belfast; were "purely '{'■ examining ■ bodies." ■-■■■ "',-'._ What I said ! was that these universities, as then*, calendars show, admit students to certain : .o£::U'i their .degrees by examination only, not requiring attendance on lectures or residence, and to . this extent are certainly £ X as "purely examining ■ Sbodies" sis the ; ' University of Zealand ever was or . will be. Term examinations were : in- Attended to test the fitness of students to ■ sit for degree :■;examinations,;'■ not as sub- % . stitutes for them. 4:'; However, "as |ar as--9 Auckland Uniyersity College lis ; concefnt-i " ; M.A need not worry. The syl- » labus shows at least three ways of avoiding the/ ordeal of : term examination, and a few years more of "the accrediting- and" M no examination theories will doubtless: see terms granted without any test whatever. The , recognition : that the degrees ■; ; "- of the University of New 'Zealand enjoy : is based on the charter issued {by . Queen Victoria in P1877, f and ;if Auckland does.' - not receive: a charter granting a like re---- > cognition, MA < would find it not a "figment," but a fact that its:.diplomas;i would not be worth the parchment ;■ they ■■'■'■' are printed on. What f has all along "> been:; contended by ; others '.; as':-.'. well as \h myself is that \ the examiners should be 'S'-\ ignorant "of the student's identity. In the small colleges ;of .; New Zealand if the " professors i are to be the examiners this is impossible. .What MA. says about the bona fides of the professors may ; : be ';. .- quite true, but everyone knows that it ;P is impossible or: a teacher in close con- - tact with his ' students '}) when She'; turns examiner to avoid ; being biassed more or ?■'•"■ less in favour of.:some iof ;: them, and . there is not a doubt that the external examiner is j : much ''■■ better security th4t ? all students ■;;.,will receive a - '"squjare ' deal.". B.A.