COMMISSION SITS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17573, 25 June 1925, Page 8

COMMISSION SITS.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. “POSSIBILITIES AHEAD.” ■Ter rrcss Association. WELLINGTON, June 25. The sitting of the Royal Commission cn University Education was continued to-day. The commission was warmly welcomed by Sir James Parr, Minister of Education. The Government, he said, had set them up as a royal commission in the opinion that their task was one of considerable importance to this country. The Government had acted under some pressure in the matter of the commission. Most of the governing bodies of the colleges' had passed strong resolutions urging on the Government the desirability of a commission to enquire into various matters Avhich had been the subject of keen controversy for years in the Dominion Sir Harry Rcichel, thanking the Minister, said that they felt deeply the great importance of the work entrusted tc them. Already the commission had seen enough to show that an inquiry would be valuable. They saw great possibilities before them. Mr Levi, chairman of the Victoria College Council, gave evidence that the University performed all the functions of a university, save the examination for the conferring of degrees. The Senate Assembly published a syllabus, preparation of which was highly technical and was carried out by the senate prior to 1914. -when a Board of .Studies of twenty members was constituted part of the university by statute. For all practical purposes the really important work assigned to the university Avas delegated to this body, which avp.s also a collection of experts on many subjects, with the result that, as each member was an expert only in his own subject, the recommendations were no: from the. whole board, but from two or three experts in each subject. The publication of a syllabus by an external body tended to cramp the teacher, especially in seme subjects. Separate universities would be advantageous, because of the increased of tho college itself and the greater likelihood of benefactions.