SPECIALISATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 5

SPECIALISATION.

-DISCUSSION BY UNIVERSITY SENATEt H SCHOOL OF ENCINEERINC, ■'.■'M APPLICATION PROM AUCKLAND. './■'}§ The question of specfalisihg in the different -, university centres was discussed' &t to-day'a. "': sessioa of the Senate-of the University, of ~;■:' New Zealand.,, The:matter arose out .of a- ; .. :lettcr..from.the.: Registrar- of,.the University College conveying a resolution of ~V .; this, council,. ''That.the Senate.Unasked to :, v recognise the. teaching, given at' the-Auek- ,'.;-': land University College for the.'first, profesr,'; sion-al year of engineering, (civily mechanical, '' and electrical)." It was,pointed out-by, the .!■"'. writer, that of tho six subjects which: may'.;V; be offered.for examination at the end.of the'.''"-'.-"-:; candidate's. first, professional year, four aro. '•■■:'•"■' already taught, at Auckland for the. B.E, ' : ; (mining' and - metallurgical); the -definitions.'....'/ being- identical in'.e'aili case. , The council;.;.now asked.for recognition of,.tho teaching in'- : :':;''; technical, chemistry .-'and'applied' niechanics :■.•-'.. and also the mechanics of machinery'; j. :■-..; Professor Scott said it would be. remem^,-:..:; berod.that spme years ago.it was: suggested,. .:■' V that, each of the university: colleges;.should ■'■;■'■': specialise; To a very large extent that, idea -:: "'"; had' been carried out,: and when four; years : ''- ago; a...'-movement' was! made at, Ghristchurclrv,:,-. to'extend the engineprin'g scho.ol"ihere ■'to■."!';' mining he opposed it. The proposition of. the .::: Auckland -College; Council--meant, breaking .. : :. down-' the. arrangement..' In the-:event of '/-v 'Auckland taking up engineering, .the-Canter-:: : : bury College would take. up mining, -qnd ,-■:--' there would bo petty'schools,in all the.cen-.., ,::;•; tres.,-- The Dominion was not largo' I :'enough' . ': : to support moro, than-' one school of eiigin- ' coring. There were,. further, .not- enough: .'V jnen'cpming forward. Up to the present,' '-' Auckland -had. not. .succeeded; in; giving: the-•'.-„ .■■'■: preliminary; teaching- for .the first;, year in. : :; : : engineering. In'three individual -cases ho'.,, declared hardship had. resulted from this. ■; ;-„ What was" really, wanted Was. for a; student ; : '-.'-; 'to. be in contact with'and taught.by .engin-' eers for the .whole four years of: his_ course. If tho. Auckland Council would reconsider, the ■ >;, matter, 'it would see there werp great djffi-':';.;: culties in the .way of: the recognition of, these ;'';■;;;■, subjects. It was better to hayo'.'specialised:-, - professional schools: and for each of these to- adhere to a range.of subjects. ■',- :. " vV!:.'•! •'•. Mr.: G. -Hogben, ; Inspector-General, ofj; •:.';. Schools, said- the Government 'diaa!,; given. ;.:. grants-to enable the various .-colleges', to -■;:;■: 'specialist' As; far- as engineering .:'':; cernpd, .it. was evident that to : establish four. •";:.' engineering schools (if there was more than'■', . one: there might'as well ba.foui'),-would, re- .-;.,.; quire- a capital 'expenditure of £200,000, and.;;;: ".- also .an- annual exnenditure in the; case of ; ;;: each: one of £3000. for salaries, eic^^;( : : This meant an.anniial; cost of at least : £12,000; v'--;.:;: .The number • of engineers ■ required ' in New '■■'■ ' ■'■■■ Zealand, would not '.warrant such a large ca'pi-.. ';;. tal or; yearly, expenditure. It would be.: vary :::::-; .much'.'-'cheaper,-, .'and-, better," to provide -one -;':■:: school in: one. centre, -with' scholarships -for .^::',': those who .could not .otherwise attend that •:..:. school;'' As the Dominion ■ grew,- say, to a . ;.v.-. population of 10,000,000 people, wemight re-";; ;*;■; quire four engineering schools,-.'but not.yet-.'. : j /'Dr.: M'Dowoll, a member of the AucklaV'd-::-;:,;; College Council, said ■that.bo'dy.-waa-.'mbv?d:to"'-.; ; '''V-:' ; bring '.thp: matter before the senate JjeeausQ.i'N-'V; Of' repre'sentajions' made that there -.was >£-r'yy : \ great. demand in Aucldand for the. teaching', .: '-.«. of .engineering. "They had. there .'teaching..'. capacity: to give instruction to. the extent.,':-:.:': asked: It was fully recognised that.tocom- ; ::.:.< plete tlie curriculum stiidonts would have.to", I \:;:,.; go to : the-Canterbury College, but a number';, ■> ;. would bo saved expense by; being able to go- . :-: throiigh their.first year's course in Auckland. ; ; Ho thought they should have specialising, hut -this,- was not being carried out.: Tiierp .;-.'v',/;: were .two :mining schools, (one,: at: tlipugh .Auckland was, tho place appointed.::. -. v--:-' '.There-, wero also! commercial schools, one at : : ;.-.;:V ChristcluiTch and one at Auckland! .:[:■. .-'■ -"-/.f- ---■ Mr.-'H. vop;Haast saidthe matter jnight g 0 ; ',; to the Engineering Committee, with;a record- .- .' hiendation that the .senate" adhere'^to, the': ■■. : -':i'ir. schenie fqr -spe'eiaKsation,"...■'.'", ,' :>, : -S ' ; The Chancelloiv(Sir -Robert Stout.said lie':':'"::■ adhered: still to iy4a,t he bad said jn i 885 ,; ': namely, .th3t there ought; to beepecialisatipn ,:;:!- at- the."variou's colleges.: If -Auckjarid was- ''•: 'looked upqii- as.the mining' school- for the •;.;:•:; iDQiiiiniQii,-engineering should be left to. Can- -:,:':'■ terburyi .He .thought.'a hy school might lie.':' ■',:: established' in Wellington.'. The :alterna%e.: :-:■•; was .to .have.ppe; central uniyerstiy. There "'i;'.-: could not.bo schools in each cent-re 'without a'"-'~-'Af: cost.to the Dominion thatit could not stand.. '.;;.;•£ :We did not, realise thati after all,,we were.....-;;' a small colony,:and that.strict.ecqnpmy and '■• -■:"•;'• .very'little taxation would " : shpye " ,iis:along :;i" better, than-any. SQlieme jet propounded..by ...':'. anv Parliament of-New Zealand.: :. ';;''--.'' , : s .The;letter from the. Auckland Council was, ': i. referred to'the Engineering Committee, as. [ v'. : A .wasone from the same source concerning . ; :■' certificates of proficiency in engineering, ■'• ;';::'•