THE UNIVERSITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 683, 7 December 1909, Page 8

THE UNIVERSITY.

COURT OF CONVOCATION, i '-MATRICCLATION STANDARDS. . : Tho annual meeting of the Distriot Court of Convocation i of the New Zealand University I was hold ■; at - Victoria ■ College last ovening, i Mr. T. R. Fleming presiding. There was a small, attendance—nnder twenty. . i In opening tho ■ proceedings the chairman said , that the recommendations adopted by convocation last ; year had recoivcd tho atten.tion of the Senato, ,and one of them had been accepted. Thero wero between 300 and 400 members on the roll of. convocation, but the attendance was, under 20; a similar attendance'was'recorded at tho annual meeting of last year. He expressed a hope that members, in view of the larger questions which had- been recently opened up with regard .to University reform, would take a more intimate and active .interest in its affairs. - The chairman stated, with regard to finances, that the receipts amounted to J515 65., the expenses ;w6B ' 65., 'leaving a credit balance of <86 .19s. 9d. After a short discussion. the following motion, tabled by Mr. H. F. Von Haast on behalf of Mr; B. N. Mnrphy, was adopted:— ■ , That the ' regulations governing, the examination for the second division' of the' LL.B. degree be altered to .allow a student '' who has failed to pass the first section of!' that division at a previous examination •' to. take . the subject of Property, Part I, . along with Property, Part 11, at a subsequent 'examination, provided he has, at such ;',previous examination been a can'di-' date in Property, Part I. , . - : Considerable discussion centred upon "a series, of-motions tabled- by Mr. Von Haast with '. regard, to the question of raising the standard of the matncnlation; ;; after some .amendments the; motions were finally adopted as'follow:—

That this' Court of Convocation repeats its recommendation'to the -Senate that the standard of the matriculation .examination be raised, and makes the .following , fiir-;;ther-recommendations:—(a), That-.'/ the : standard pf knowledge. required should be such as might reasonably be expected from ' a candidate after- , a satisfactory four H jrears*'. course at a secondary school. - (b) ■ That- such subjects -in .-the examination should be compulsory as fairly, represent a . sound;''; general. ■ education with a view to enabling the'student thereafter to concentrate his attention upon a homogeneous group of related subjects, (c) That mathematics, including arithmetic," algebra, and tho elements of geometry,' bo made compulsory ' for all candidates for matricnlatiou. (d) That Latin be compulsory for all candidates who' intend to proceed to . tho 8.A., LL.B;i 'and B^o.

' The mover said'that the Senate,was bound to confiidcr the whole'question at -its next meeting. Opinion throughout New, Zealand .- was, invited on the question of raising the general standard of literary, efficiency of. candidates for matriculation. After ro>"io\ving the \ published staitements of opinion on the subject, Mr. Voj Haast went on to say'that "tho'"proper function of matriotilation—an entrance teat to the Uni-" versity—wm being .lost sight , of; the examine tion. was made a' leaving test, for secondary schools, and.' fulfilling other objects. :He also took exception to the practice of "marking-up" candidates in a weak subject because their woTk was strong in other subjeots. 'This frequently happened with' candidates in Latin. - ' ' - The chairman "remarked', that much of the trouble arose from the ,faot that the average age;of candidates' for;matriculation-was much loiter than -in- the ; past. ; There was,evident a desire to push the'children on too fast.

. .Mr. .W. ,F. agreed,-and added ,the following: motion,which !-wa9 seconded and carthe agejof matriculation be raised from 16 to 17." This, ho said,' would achieTe the/four years' study of 'secondary, subjects which alone could give some. solidarity -to., a student's, preparedness' for 'University. wark. " It was also moved by ,Mr. Von Haast, on behalf of Mr.- B. N. Murphy':—"That it be a recommendation to the. Senate that the present' .system, of keeping terms. be- altered so as to avoid the necessity of double examinations." Mr.. Stocker suggested that, what Mr. Murphy had in his mind was probably some such system as was' in !vogue in Dublin, . where' /''terms'.'. Were; "kept" either on, the basis. of a pass :examination, or, on•' certificates, granted ■ by professors:' "• /'■■'. .': Professor 1 ? Voli r Z^dUtl^ 1 ; Explained; . that tiuf systein 1 W4S". n at^preseiit' , in vogue at Victoria' College, though.not ;in,a general sense. There was inb definite system "with regard to it- ' . After further discussion, the question' was' referred'-to the', committee,' •:which was- in-' structed 'to cooperate'with ..the /Reform Assov ciation'upon the matter. v ■ •SrSome debate also took place over the! question of university freform,; openedup by' Mr. Von. who; "reviewed the ''.question .generally, and' .quoted - at length from • published: -reports:; ■Professor Voh .Zedlitz,: 6peaking from the point' of view, of a member of the University Eo-' form' Association,'.traversed the cardinal aims of the. association very fully. It was, finally resolved to the effect:—

"That this Court of Convocation expresses, its, sympathy with the movement for. university reform. :'" 'V- . : ...|