OUR UNIVERSITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 5

OUR UNIVERSITY.

ITS IYEAKNESSES DEFINED. SCIENTIFIC METHDDS ADVOCATED. '.; SOME'IKPERT OPINIONS. - ;V '\-■",;/: : '■■■'■•" '■■■:'.'■ i- :''"•;' '.;• ."--■ ■-.-', . "Now that you have been convinced that all is not well with our university .system;" •wrote Professor T. A. Hunter,' in a letter to Tire Doiinaou last week, "might I suggest that you be not content With a, purely .•'.'' negative attitude, but make inquiries., 10.,..','.'.' nee how far our present weaknesses ariso ';'•"'' ' i out of a.systemiof English examination that ,' . —U) 1/imits, tho.Ttnivorsity Bcssionto little ■• more than five months in the year; ((a)- ; ; . places no importance on training, bat;at- . tacbes all -value to a final examination; , (3) restricts university'education;to British •' '' .methods and ideals; \i) divorces, the teash- . ing'and examining i'unotions." .'.-''• , -Acting 'upon'-Professor Hnnter's..BUggCstioß, : }..; : one of our representatives was commissioned? ■ to investigate the broad principles.-of the New* '•; Mand_ University, system, and 'to ascertainv'./ ...; 1. To what extent, as defined by. a concensus' ' ! of expert opinion,- the •system is Veak. '•-;'■:" ' ; 'i 2. In what . direction the path to Teform must lie. ■'•.-. .- .. •■ i, ■' With purpose in view, our reproSenta. tlvo had a long interview with Professor Von I. Zcdhtr, of the Chair of Modem Languages,:/ Victoria Collcgo, yesterday morning, and in the'/• coursei of,tho: discussion .the: Professor traversed' - very fully tho salient points of the case for' - a oi our university system. ( ,„ I ™' et ? pleased to note that the que*. ■■- SSI^ ad t b, *n opened.'up ;; ..in « the :' leading. ': colunms of The jJoinmos," ,J l6 said. "Since . ™ J submitted certain .pro., .- S,'V n th ? d 'f«tioa of reforming the sys- - tern, the professorial boards,of- affiliated-ihsti: i; '-'' tutions have gone very fully into, tho whole question and, with' tV c/ccption of OS - > University, there is now unanimous agreement, ■: as to tho mam.weaknesses of tho system, audi alSo',as ; to. thp ( of-reform;;.;.; -~;-••- y^-^i-y'.

What' Are University Ideals? . t :,v,'. 'Now, let us first consider our ideals. What i ' aw university ideals? .There is, «£ ' traditional, or conservative view, that univer-: ' sity education is' a mere continuation of •school' : a 60rt ° f MtabMment 'to'i'.: provide the young men of the nation with hieh notionsi of oultarean an atmosphere of.socfal and intellectual refinement. No doubt • :uwversity, would,tend :,to, fulfil i thin--putpoa. - -y among others.'' But even this'purpose win' 1» ' • inadequately. fulfillcd-and most irf W ■ new umversity-if, in itself, it y regarded a?: v tne principal aim and function of tho university. As I apprehend it, a university should 1 ;■•'•' to- a place—* .■ ■' ; ' ■■\" ' '' ' *■- J , : '«»"lv- Wll ! r j ;P ? fossors a " ld a certain number suits ". ate , en ßaged ■ ' ,"&) Where the'mass of.'average students-IT : future professional. n.eh and .lenliugSnßi' ■'■£ of f2 ado fto»tot«d,with the *im,,. '■'■ ?* Si 00 andth e nature of scicnt fie tcsoarcb, x. Th»t er bran ?t of:st,ld y *«? ™y pursue V" ShL 1 ! P *& the, average student must hi- ! induced to cultivate an attitude of mind which '••' regards any particular department of"study- V 1&?!?fr'i . f rench, rVhologv ■ ■'■>' any subject iuveitigatton : : ?if' entl& i B thoi ' correct tliinkinrK-! - tual constrnfctivoness,<than as ttc'obSrv" of such'facts as may b»S, ? ihirlitKuYA"? 55 °* averftTO'studente an,; ' initiated into tlic nuns and methods of science by being brought into, direct contactwit! on* ■■• ormore.of the master, ■ minds of tho age, m| ■ ; - ™tf i y « t0 the . ? ur6uit of knowlodge-Hni ' -'' K* of practising, doctors and enghS ' of schcomaster and civil servants, and • stents thfl ««2uffl*'l "■' cducat ™ and . "Wtliematics; of 1 ' Ki.S < n< V P? h . b «a'.; 'science, •. and:,, the \- standard of professional life gcneraUy, ennobled , .(4) Whvre,. since, m the best universitv hv ; $Z™ S all the teachers wiU bo masteM /■ rt^fl^ 31 - 0 '' 0 ? 114 " 1 " 18 interfereTwUh '• ?■"■ w l ; tt«.«duti6s: ofrtbe unimaitr I'' ■*?%£fi£ \fr nmd6 \ lUQ pursuits of a man of science. Simn nn 1 S?*ki- h ' ai!h s^ slloU d befree to teach wbit) : he pleases,- and .hovy; he pleases, proved *nly I ; ' H?in h t:7 oeS ' Dto m«« f ° r fc-°S ly . nn< 0r^ ch conditions, .will ' StS' ? f ■j'"> "Sliest scientific stot to be teachers. Of all tho .ideals of uni. i "•■ JSSHiP* J> taost\imporSnri e ; •«S..i% ?atl !i n t sh "" ld . s o govern Its educa, t(OttaVaffairs that the rising generation is al. , ways brought :directly under the influtnco.of I some of tho, greatest of living.mem. ■■~ ■;:■:<■ .■.'.'''■ 4 ;: .Thf Modern .Scientific Spirit.. 'h'.'\ ■ "The policy, organisation of university . education, in New, fealarid'is by way of beinc based on that of the University of 'London, which originally failed nltogothcr, as wo in New ■ Zealand havo failed, to Understandthe • -2? 0 i the. modern, scientific spirit in univer-" sity education.'j All-men are not cast in the' 6arae mould, and.the Prooustcan bod- of com.) ,' pulsory. subjects, is a; piece' of barbarous folly.'l : , Ihq modern spirit it its true'meaning, and in' ' the truo application which it has found in thol ■'■'"'' best universities to-day,; is to treat every .sub-' ject of knowledge in a.sciOntifio way, to toachV ' Greek, no Ifcss'than phjsite?, by methods which ■■'; initiate the Student into the processes of «cten«vlvtiflc; thought. Tho London system didi not cow.' coivo or propose such \\ result.i.but What tbw.■■"' system did not propose, the teacheri have : dope j j tuoy. now select for lectures the" special h monts of their subjects oh which they themselves areenfcaged. < In; short, the .notion ol teachers'.covering ;the,wholo 'ground,, and' oniy, V that 'ground, necessary to bring their studcn&i ■: to anall-roUnd level of. culture basbecn •.": doned in favour of tho modern s'ciontific ideal,' : Appointments >to new chairs ore now being* V mails iii a":diffe'fent rfa'y to' Hete, to'llilll 1 :.; intents, .we proccod like a school board: ceN3 ■ tain things : are required to be taught, thorefore l , procure a man nolo to teach them; LOidonj Uuivorsitj' first finds the man, and'then ar-1 ranges the chair to siiit him, 1 Thb fact now ill that the - London system, ,as is! appcnrii' on j "■':■ paper, and in the ww in whicb it isfamiliacl... to Us in.New ZeiJand is Very considerably re-1 moved,from'the-actual state of-nffairs-in.that-f'-f

g~reot! university, and. the new. universitiesin,.. real Britain whoso systems are''all iuore or : less based on the Loudon systom, are all alsn-^, , ing in the.-direction Indicated by that instiru-; Hon,' But we have remained stationary, bound ■', by the dead formula and untouched.by. tho.ill-, spiring : ; reality! "■: wo) £uifor, from\ a number of drawbacks, peculiar to" ourselves, which" not. only, spoil tho'value of, jhoLondbn Bysloiu. for us, but combine to, ,! rendcr our •. system pcrmciouS.J ( ~.'.'. ,; •, 'l : .l', .... "A; Monstrous v ; ik: , "Our condition would bpfar worse," oonlinued •.Professor.Von Zedlifr., "wero.it hot'for.the fact . that-'a good percentage, of'our' students is ad-; ; mirablo material, intelligent; hard-working, and • enthusiastic. It would be absurd to deny.that good work is'being done in spite of tho disad- , vantages, peculiar to the system we hove been working under, but tho system is bad, and its ' evil effects are everywhere visible. It is a ■ monstrous 6atire on our univorsity education that a student who likes one of his degree subjects, and dislikes.another,, should plead with his teacher, who is urging him forward on a ' promising course of study in his .favourite 6ub. ject~-'I-have no tlmo for it. ;I know t.caa pass in it; honco all my timo must go to such and such a subject, in which I Am very .weak, ! ami which 1 1 thoroughly ''dislike." My conviction is that any satisfactory, system. of re. l forming ouv university must embody the following indispensable points':—,'• j,'"\ : ,' ,'. ■' •: ;: "1. Matriculation must represent a notably - higher standard, e.g., based:on four' years' secondary school work! or, failing that, a college entrance examination 1 of such: standard must a requirement for the degree; "2. This raised matriculation must contain » larijo compulsory clement, iu order 6cour« that degree of all-round attainment whiolviß- : au indisuensablo foundation of, specialisation. « "3, Compulsory subjects should bo banished"' from_ the degree requirements'subseq'uent 'to' matrioulation. ..,.-..:■■-;;.'=:-iv.-:■ •■-■-.:- "4. The. present system of granting a degreoi! as the result of oxauiiflation in six hetero- ' geneous subjects, should bo abandoned, thoro being substituted a scheme of 'faoultios.' Each student should, select, one' branch of study'as his 'faculty, e-g., low, mathematics, or : political aoienpe. Within the university of his.faculty; ho should .ohoose-.ono or two ■ principal sub*■''■' jeets, which would bo pursued about as far us'' tho present honours standard, arid two or : - throo secondary subjects, to be. carried up to tho present 'repeat' standard, such to bo I wlected from a group of cognate snbjocW dolined by tho university. "5. Two. pais degrees only should bo granted ■ -TU.' and T.L.B.' TheT degrees of 'BSe?' .TU„' and X.L.M.' should, bo honours degrees, of, roushly, equivalent standards, Ami should,-in oaoh case nivolvo some dement of original, or, at least, independent worth, Hot* ours iti. every case should: bo obtaiimb!, for ' each subject separately, and no combumtltm'of two languages required as at: presents .