H.—l

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that the progress of the University and its colleges will he watched witlv^great interest by the people, we suggest that the Minister of Education should be the Visitor of all these institutions, in order that in his place in Parliament he may be able publicly to give such information respecting them as occasion may require. It should be the duty of the Chancellor of the University, on or before the 30th of June in every year, to furnish a report to the Minister of Education upon the condition and progress, revenue and expenditure, of the University during the preceding year, and to accompany the same with copies of the reports furnished to him by the several University colleges ; together with such remarks thereon as he may think fit to make. All these reports should be laid before both Houses of Parliament within one month after the same have been received, if Parliament be then sitting, or, if it be not then sitting, within one month after the next meeting of Parliament. We recommend that the same pecuniary provision for the University of New Zealand as at present exists be made in the new Act. "We deem it very undesirable that the colleges should come into competition with the grammar-schools, or that boys who require school discipline should be prematurely admitted to the freer life of a University ; and we therefore recommend that the minimum age for matriculation be raised to sixteen years. We have carefully considered the question, whether students residing at a distance from the colleges should be allowed to proceed to their degrees by passing the prescribed examinations without attendance at lectures, and have come to the conclusion that great importance should be attached to the attendance of undergraduates upon college lectures ; but that there is no good reason for disturbing the existing arrangement whereby the Chancellor may, in exceptional cases, grant exemption from such attendance. In order that the Senate may have at its command a staff of competent: examiners, we recommend that the professors of the University colleges be! professors of the University, and be ordinarily its examiners. By selecting examiners from among the professors of the University, the Senate will be enabled ', to have its examinations conducted wholly within the colony, and the delay which ensues from the transmission of the examination papers to and from England or > Australia will be got rid of, and the results of the examination made known with much greater promptitude than heretofore. At the same time, the Senate should be at liberty to avail itself of the services of the college lecturers as examiners, and also to appoint persons who are not connected with the teaching staff of any college, or who may ordinarily reside beyond the limits of the colony ; but in no case should any part of the examination be conducted by persons who, for the time being, are not resident in the colony. Eor the purposes of making up the final returns of every examination, and: awarding scholarships, we think that there should be an examination committee,' consisting of the Chancellor, as Chairman, and of persons chosen from among the examiners, each Professorial Board choosing one examiner as its representative for the year. The interests both of the University and of the colleges demand that the terms : offered to gentlemen invited to become professors should be such as may be' reasonably expected to command the services of able men. We therefore recommend that the tenure of office of each professor, according to the ordinary precedent of other Universities, be quamdiu se bene gesserit, but that power be reserved to the college Councils to make arrangements for retiring allowances (varying according to length of service) in cases of advanced age, infirmity, or other such incapacity. In accordance with the resolution cited above for securing the independence. of the University colleges, the right of appointing professors will vest in the Councils' of the colleges ; but we think it necessary that the sanction of the Senate of the University should be obtained before a new professorship or lectureship is established in any college. As the professors of the colleges will receive the status of professors of the University, and as University examinations will be mainly conducted by them, it seems reasonable to give the Senate a voice in determining what professorships are most urgently needed, and also to give it a veto on the institution of new pro-

Chancellor' 9 annual report.

Pecuniary provision for University. Age of admission to University.

Attendance) at lectures.

Professors of the colleges to bo professors of the University, and ordinarily examiners. Examinations to be conducted within the colony.

Examination committee.

Professors' tenure of office.

Appointment of professors.