ENLARGED UNIVERSITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21132, 15 March 1932, Page 10

ENLARGED UNIVERSITY.

TRAINING COLLEGE UNION. STRONG EDUCATION FACULTY IMPORTANT ECONOMY INVOLVED ADJUSTMENT OF STAFFS. " effect is given to the proposal, it will not mean that the training college will be abolished, but that it will become the educational faculty of the University College," said the president of the Auckland University College, Sir George Fowlds, during a discussion at a council meeting yesterday on a report by the registrar, Mr. M. R. O'Shea, dealing with a proposal to incorporate the training college in the university.

Sir George reported having attended, with the registrar, a conference of university representatives in Wellington on February 25 on the question of taking over the training colleges. An outline of the decisions at the conference was placed before the meeting, the general scheme drafted by a sub-committee being that, in each centre, the university should administer the training of teachers. A training college would become incorporated with the faculty of education in a university college, the results being an increase in teaching power, a decrease in the cost of staffs and an avoidance of unnecessary duplication in lectures.

The council received a letter from the chairman of the professorial board stating that the general scheme had been approved. A recommendation was added that, in the proposal that no candidate should be certified regarding professional training without t lie sanction of the Education Department, extreme v care should be taken to ensure that no ultimate control of the instructional functions should be vested in the department. Basis One of Economy.

In his draft statement on the position in Auckland, Mr. O'Shea pointed out that the basis of the proposal was economy. It should be noted that, apart from heavilyreduced granisy the balance of the university's income from other sources had diminished in a very serious manner. Unlike the schools, the university could not curtail expenditure by dismissing lecturers with a view of increasing the size of classes. The proposal as a whole, Mr. O'Shea thought, would save -money not only during the depression, buturfor all time—in both annual and capital expenditure.

The suggested teaching of geography at the university illustrated possible economies. For £SO a year, by co-operat-ing with the training college, the university could do what would otherwise cost £SOO, and the £SO would be saved were the training college part of the university as faculty of education. Owing to the non-completion of the training college building, there were no extra-size classrooms. The use of such at the university by the new faculty would, by avoiding subdivision of classes, result in great economy of staff time in such subjects as English, music, education, art appreciation, geography, history and agricultural Bcience.

Among examples of saving immediately possible, Mr. O'Shea cited the case of the retirement of the professor of music at the end of the following year. The training college lecturer in music, in his new sparetime, could conduct yniversity lecturing in music, resulting in a yearly saving of £4OO. The professor of English would retire at the end of the present year, and the present state of finances would make the council hesitate to commit itself financially by filling the chair. "Inadequate Professorial Salary."

" But what other course is open to lis ?" Mr. O'Shea asked. " The present professorial salary rate is inadequate to attract the right type of candidate. It Bhould be remembered that the appointee will probably hold the position for 30 years. Any false step will have enduring consequences. On present indications our professorial commencing 6alary will be £BOO, less 20 per cent. What chances have we of obtaining a good man 1" Mr. O'Shea mentioned that, in England, the salary for professors was £llOO. The spare time of the training college lecturer in English would do much toward a temporary maintaining of the £IOOO appointment until such time as finances improved. The professor of history would retire at the end of the year and the professor cf mathematics at the end of the following year. The nominal salaries in the positions mentioned were: English, mathematics, history, £IOOO each; geography, £550: music, £4OO. Temporary savings of the major portions of all these sums would be possible. The university would, of course, have to give careful consideration to the matter before taking action regarding certain of the chairs, as important principles were involved. Other benefits enumerated were that training college non-degree students would have the advantage of lecturing by the best combined staff available, the evil effects of the depression upon the already inadequate level of staffing at the university would be largely mitigated, and the increased staff would allow the university to grade its students. Foundation of Science Block. The Minister of Education had on his files a report showing the dangerous state of the university science building. The erection, when possible, of a new building on the training college site would recult in having the present four science laboratories at. the college available as a foundation for the new building. In the early future the university would re-quiro-a "site for its full-dav work. The present area of three and a-half acres was in no way cpmmensurate with that of any other similar-sized university in the world. The present site of the training college was 27 acres and there weie adjoining areas. The capital cost of any similar area w.puld be very considerable. " We point to the admittedly deplorable state of university finances compared with other branches of education in New Zealand," the registrar added. * "The present proposal would effect an improvement which would, if done, in any other way, require a considerably increased expenditure. There can be no question of the training college being swamped by the university. I{, would be the faculty cf education, and, on the contrary, would swamp the present faculty and be a fine,, large nucleus for the full-time university." Extension ol Post-primary Work.

The education of a teacher was part professional and part, cultural. The proposal would permit the institution of such c degree for teachers. Training college students wodld take the professional division, possibly the existing C certificate requirements, with the best going on to complete a degree of Bachelor of Education in extra degree subjects. One of the most important arguments was that the ".pooling" of the staffs would allow, the extension economically of training for post-primarv work in secondary, technical and junior high schools. The best basis of financing the amalgamation, the registrar concluded, would be a grant to the univers : tv of the present cost of the training college. Economies could not be made until amalgamation, so 8 reduction in grant should await consideration. It was decided to forward a copy of the renort to the Education Board, with an intimation that the council wns willing to confer with the board. '1 he report was referred to the education committee, Bir George Fowlds expressing the viewthat a great advance would result were the proposal adopted.