UNIVERSITY COMMISSION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19348, 1 July 1925, Page 11

UNIVERSITY COMMISSION

PROFESSOR ALGIE’S VTEWS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 30. Before the University Commission, Professor Algie said that in his opinion facilities for University education in New Zealand generally were adequate. The fees could not. bo described as heavy. Scholarships and bursaries were very liberal indeed, but these operated in favour of the city students. He would say that the facilities were not perfect in respect of country students, but the financial problem appeared to be too groat. Sir H. Reichcl: The present system is breaking down with its own weight. Professor Algie: Yes, its own weight is becoming crushing. Centralisation must immediately lead to delay. My experience as chairman of the Board of Studies is that the mere increase in -» staff of the central office would not c self overcome the present difficulty. There was duplication of work by the. Senate, and Board of Studios, because the Senate reserved the right to discuss in detail what the Board recommended. He favoured a division of the present New Zealand University into four separate Universities, partly because of the deadlock that had arisen and was inevitable in regard to the question of professional schools. The Senate appeared to have no fixed policy on this question. He favoured a change in lhe examination system, and had confident expectations that the new system introduced by the Senate would work well. He was opposed to accrediting as undemocratic, and not equally fair to all. It substituted a discretion ary process for an impartial examination. He would however be in favour of allowing much weight to the voice of the secondary schools.