THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1903. THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12767, 14 September 1903, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1903. THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

Tiierb is apparently somo conflict of opinion among educational authorities in the colony respecting the suitability of the provision which, as the outcome of the conference was held in Wellington a few days ago, is to be recommended to the trustees under Mr Cecil Rhodes's will for the selection of Nw Zealand candidates for the Rhodes scholarships at Oxford University. Sir Robert Stout, whose views on any subject connected with education are entitled to the respect of the community, holds that the scholarships should be continuation or travelling scholarships, corresponding in their character to scholarships that are given from somo Scotch universities to Continental universities. But the question the conference at "Wellington. had to consider was not <$iat fonn of scholarship would probably be the most advantageous, but it was what form of scholarship can be established that will, regard being had to colonial conditions, most fully give effect to the wishes expressed in his will by the founder of the scheme. From this standpoint, which is really the only available standpoint, the

objection that the plan agreed upon by tlio conference errs in maidng the scholarships open to graduates possesses more force. How is it possible to form a tolerably true conception of tho class of student in New Zealand whom Mr Rhodes desired to assist by tho munificent bequest he has made? The terms of the will itself may be said to indicate roughly the principle which the testator would wish to havo adopted. There are GO scholarships t6 bo distributed over various portions of tho British Empire, and 24 of these are allocated to South Africa. Now, in the settlement of tile requirements as to the age and scholastic standing of the Rhodes scholars from the portions of the Empire outside South Africa weight should, it may to suggested, be given to the requirements prescribed by Mr Rhodes himself, so far as any requirements may be said to be prescribed at all, in relation to South Africa. And what we find in the will is that, with regard to twelve of the South African scholarships, thero is a specific direction concerning' tho sources from which the candidates are to be drawn. In Cape Colony three scholarships are to be held by students of or from the South .African College School, three by students of or from the Slellenbosch College School, and three by students of or from the Diocesan College School of Bcndcbosch; and in Natal three scholarships are to be tenable by students of or from St. Andrew's College School. Grahamstown. There is no similarly specific allocation respecting the other South African scholarships, but- the fact that Mr Rhodes was so prccise in his direction as to the destination of the Cape Colony portion of the bequest raises a strong presumption ~ that, in the choice in tho other parts of the Empire of candidates who should enjoy the benefits of the scholarships founded by liun, lie would havo given a preference to students whose age and scholastic attainments at the time of their election corresponded fairly closely to those of the more .advanced students in the educational institutions he named. If this be a fair test to apply in tho colonies outside South Africa, it follows that the scholarships should be bestowed 011 students at the completion of their secondary school course. Between this view and that advanced by Sir Robert Stout tho conference at Wellington compromised. The candidate, it is proposed, must either be a graduate of the University of New Zealand or else an undergraduate of not less than two years' standing, and he must bo not under 19 years 1101? over 22 years of age at the beginning - of the veal in which he would enter into residence at tho University of Oxford. In arriving at this recommendation tho conference may have taken into consideration tho fact that in America aud Canada it has been stipulated that the selected scholar shall have passed through a university'course of at least two years and that he shall not be less than 19 or more than 25 years of age; and the opinion expressed by Dr Parkin, the representative of the executors of Mr Rhodos's will, that it would bo of doubtful wisdom to send any person under 19 years of age to the other side of the world to fight his own battles may have been largely entertained by members of the conference. In addition to tho conditions respecting age and scholastic standing of candidates for scholarships, it is proposed that a residence and nationality qualification shall be demanded, and that, subject to the requirements upon these various points being satisfied, a Committee' of Selection—consisting of the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand and four persons severally appointed by the. Professorial Boards of the University Colleges—shall exercise its discretion as to the other tests to which candidates shall subject themselves. Thero will necessarily have to be some preliminary test of scholarship. Indeed, there is a suggestion that there may be two qualifying tests of this kind—ollo imposed by tho colonial selectors and the other imposed by tli© Oxford authorities. And, if only as a curious instance of how it is possible that, in the process of carrying out the provisions of Mr Rhodes's will, a check may be given to the tendency to thrust Latin perhaps and Greek certainly from the -schools in order that sciences and the modern languages may receive more attention, it is worth noting that it is highly likely that Greek will have to be made a compulsory subject in the qualifying examinations. After all, however,' the settlement of the educational tests and of the other tests concerning wliicli the conference at "Wellington came to a conclusion leaves untouched probably the most difficult problem that the application of the terms of Mr Rhodes's will brings into prominence. For Mr Rhodes does not propose that merely tho student who, by his diligence or brilliance, is able to head the class lists or to satisfy educational teste shall benefit by his bequest. Physical and moral qualities are also to count, and Sir Rhodes himself highly appraised them both. Ilis conception of the student whom he would like to assist is made clear in his will. "My desire being," he declared in t that document, that the students who shall be elected to the scholarships shall not be merely bookworms, I direct that in tho election of a student to a scholarship regard shall be had to—(1) His literary and scholastic attainments; (2) his fondness of and success in manly outdoor sports, such as cricket, football, and the like; (3) his qualities of manhood, truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for the protection of llio weak, kindliness, unselfishness, and fellowship; {'!) his exhibition duriug school days of moral force of character and of instincts to lead and to take an interest in his schoolmates, fcr those latter attributes will be likoly in after life to guide him to esteem the performance of public duties as his highest aim." He further recorded, also, though only as suggestions for the guidance of the selectors of the Rhodes scholars, that his "ideal student" would combine the four qualifications mentioned in the proportions three - tenths each for the first and third qualities and two-tenths each for the second and fourth. The marks for the various qualifications he would have awarded independently upon lines proposed by himself—those for the

first by examination; those for the second and third respectively by the fellow students of the candidate by ballot; and those for tho fourth by the head master of the candidate's school. It is plain that in the allocation of scholarships to candidates whose fitness is to be tested according to some such method as that suggested by Mr Rhodes "very considerable difficulty will be presented to the selectors.