SPECIAL ARTICLE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19150, 5 November 1927, Page 17

SPECIAL ARTICLE.

univeesity.

OF A VISITING PROFESSOR.

1 that have occurred *" « tte New Zealand University */L Canterbury College- I comply l%od deal of hesitation, fearful .-lit I «ay raa y be inter P rete(l " *J£m«** * ay in whieh N ° W l£d KM tackled the problems conZuA with University education. *U?M »y then at the beginning that tiare b«e» dee P'- r ira P rcssed by thc i it which New Zealand, with a tSuatio* Of l«s than a million and a r Sf kai l«id the foundations of a groat teMlity astern, and that I am conI«d that «he is well able to deal with itfcver problems have arisen or may •-in connexion with it. Let me add, (hat a> an external examiner for fT'eait nine y ears a,ld as a teaclier - n , ffiury College for one session 1 briThad good opportunities of appref the excellent work done by ; «4ta't in my own subject, and the ■ Sttjenof students and staff. Thc in- • .Xtoal atmosphere of Canterbury 001 l l JTia, been delightful. Tho great I 2jority of tho students are eager to f ktrT) tt would bo an impertinence in I JJt O ipeak. of tho zeal of tho staffI s*ro aro Universities in the world to ilitli » certain proportion of students -ajjjerely for sport or for the social jjriigrtion which residence is supposed b rtnf* r « * ' iaV(S known classes in {tfUad which have been very difficult ' j| juplro with any real interest in ~ kjrsiiig. Judged by the idealism of [, to aim'i I belicvo Canterbury College fluid rank high among University inR dtttJOM, But there is nothing so uss"\loitl6 dull as mere approval. Mon- ' fto»iwd to say, "For Heaven's sake ' jgrare h° two °* us '' — to coni paniona ijpgercly echoed his own opinion, and JlriJl note certain points where a dif- , 4Mi policy has been or might; be '. JIW often been asked my opinion Nfikjawteni of external examinations, |all]iaye already expressed it on more Itajae occasion. I believe (can there "jUaydoqbt of it?) that the staffs of iflflijfew Zealand University Colleges iq fltfly cpmpetent to conduct their *H|i(peo examinations: that tho prps-: ■ IktA the New Zealand degree would [ fjui to damage by the adoption of ;j§4»lßf»tic control; and that the Wtuaf would profit very much by \t-, - itfcaMg question which has aroused jfpMeal of acrimonious discussion, $1 ftiftt* that J should like to stress ; fldlgtt- Unit it is very gopd for the jpfcffof the staff to undertake the MtMlbiliry of the highest degree ex- ] it; gives them a valuable in- ; jp the results af their teachas I If now frpm experir i tp, |e improve the standard of the - anptieoi. ' There is to me some- \ to| abjure in reeogniaing a man's -tea te do the highest teaching in while denying him the JlJMrW'jtWge of tho results of his M|| .The examination should be MpiM to the teaching and not and this is my second system must tend to some extent to lower, HMdlMtfis of the teaching. If a to give, his pupils matter, the result (wE^^^, earcn or °f w ork along roadfe, the question the externa] examiner }WK%M it he knows it will lie likoly to ask a ques.Jp,***B,'aad is it fair to the stud- ; Mjf|m them matter which is not Wjlfif pf use to them in the exMpst I iave had the privilege of lecture on early l^ew ••wwJdjtory, and as I listened tp linmtMiQn: of the country's hisWff Ulljalj fuller and deeper than sjj*Vl *PH how nnfair it was thpt *Wt> who attended such lectures PWl# tested by my own much more Wf Hi Superficial knowledge. And WV true of New Zealand history WMfaJl other subjects where there "WPwHty in the teaching; and i|; VLW.TQR' essence of yniyersity ' ought to be original. "> J. W« pwfae the subject up further. ' jyWMatfol thing is, I believe, to that the. one all-importanj; to get the best-teac I '-g an 4 '3jg | Wffling # ; that diplomas, classr and degrees are only WM to that end; and that an extorr H}ay be prejudicial tp /fw»e been asfetd how do New ZeaSjWdards compare with those of |JW» Universities P Any answer thai) rJPjSS B * Q? cpurse, he confined to HLJ*S ?&)*# Pf hiatbry. An 4 f ' s2ir' irfty ' 1 e ° n the examination is ae H*Mf»lt ia dqne in the cprreqpond- . H#§2? r>»? n glßnd. Those candidates SfIP»VP » Brat-clasß in the New 'gfjjfeaininatidn would, I believe, jrWra to have reached a firaton thqse papers in an ■ g*Kft* a jlffß* iq n held in an English There is ofton, too, a c]e? JWWi treahnesg and keenness about l Zestland work. But! W <m> ''*° e remembered H "flßfl<>Wß" in New ZeaSir tt*' S* 9 7 0 * r 's specialised work BH' '»t Hoipe" the "Uononrs'* SS n near lv always a three years' JHftJpflTSfled by students' who deSrF *T« apposed to devpte) all SUjfit W thwr work; and conser Effi'W ground covered in England SIP W>q?f and it is pyobably peiier EPWie deeply. The history course dpps not demand anv ° f Euro P cau history, 'WjSR- l . deni and a study of origi- €¥»«»' both are'required in >lmi!Lt °" S " hist orical courses i ? - m ac 9"ointed in England, WjZ ma ineyitjibly to the question of full-time ||&"* e 'tudents. There lies the ;||g?TL. ) ?W'and and English Univerf* ? H? me student is com: iSISSL I ?^.W England; at Oxford ; ?W«iXT.iW,» e " unknown; in N.nv ■5SrtW^ of certasn f«u'.ti Cß ; a large part of tho sP*iVjs?i *Y thiis I like M-2i*N Plan. AH my life I SMK-7 Vl^ nt tho lie ed is that iwlllrr* W be brou ent into close fflir t -iM> ' thtt {t all °uld not be hn* that it jK&iLy" Possession of "wayfarWomen.'' I have heard it !§* SeakiV* ?J e to ° man y P eo Ple in ifigWiM attending the secondary ipyn W lJ?iiverjjitiep, and the tUlitaiSJ "* n madc as though it that any country can IT educated population. Swnal effort of the last England has been to «-.y and University edu,B't thipk there is any 'Bointmpnt w i t h the refg the good results J *»i that it has contriT to the sense of equaling down of barriers - *t if Indeed surpris-

ing if New Zealand thinks she has gone too far in that direction, and I shall not readily believe it. But I can readr ily believe that grave difficulties may arise through the" presence in the Unir versity of two very\ different types of students, those, namely, who are devoting their ■ whole time tq their University studies, and those who snatch a few hours from a busy day for at-: tendance at lectures. I should think that a solution will have to be found by the arrangement of different courses for these two different types of stpdents- Might not the "Hon'ours" course be confined to full-time students, while the pass course is Jeft for the others ? It would theq he possible to draw up a hroader apd deeper curriculum, and to demand from "Honours" students a wider survpy and rnare detailed study of evidence. The objection will at once bo made that a- larger stnfh woujd be necessary. Perhaps,' ancl yet I can. imagine a very good Honours course, in which the. stud,epts. are guided in their studies rather than constantly lectured tp. J heJieye m lectures, but it is a mere superstition to tp- l nk that they are the pn}y avenu© to knowledge, My last word _on this subject shall jje a prPt? B * against any neglect pf or conterfipt for the part-time student.

j have room for only one niore topio —tire need of a really good library. The laok of such a library seems to me the oije great drawback to Christchurch considered as an intellectual centre. In nearly every other tion I am amazed at what has been {lone in -seventy-seven years. Yesterday a wilderness and to-day as charm-; jpg a centre of cultured, life as is to be found in the Empire! that is largely dtie tp the prevision of the original pjjgnms. But i" 1850 . the era of libraries had hardly -begun! an'd I dare say we must attribute to that'the absence of any provision for a library." Canterbury Oollego has a charming little building for its library, and the hooks havo been carefully chosen. But what enormous gaps there are, how many historical'works of the first rank and importance arc not to be found on the shelves, how the whole teaching of history seems to lack foundation when there is no possibility of even glancing at the basis on which the superstructure rests! In Leeds we suffered from the same great wapt for many years; but from Leeds one could always quickly reach the great libraries of London and other cities, and now wc havo mado a beginning of really fine libraries both in the University and in tho city. I feel sura the defect will be remedied before long. The cost is considerable, but it seems to me the fir3t claim on thc resources of a University. I believe, too, that if the needs of the Dominions were known at Home bequests of books might reasonably be hoped for. I remember that Mr Gladstone once said that, tho population of England was in danger of being driven into the sea by the accumulation" of printed matter. Every scholar collects some sort of a library, and often as his years draw to their end he wonders what he should do with it, for it is notorious that books cost much to buy but make very little when sold. Bequeathed tq College and University libraries in England they produce little noticcaple result. Diverted to New Zealand and tp Christchurch they would be invaluable. Is there no means of diverting them? Enough and m>re than epough! I must end as T began hy saying that I trust nothing in this article will be interpreted as unfriendly criticism of Canterbury College and its ways. Tor the College apd all that belongs to it, £or the students and the staff, I shall retain'to n>y life's end an affectionate and grateful"regard, and I shall listen eagerly for ne\js of its advance under its new Rectpr, Dr. Hight, whose appointment gave me keen personal pleasure.