UNIVERSITY REFORM,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 839, 10 June 1910, Page 6

UNIVERSITY REFORM,

Sir,—lt would be a comfort to those of us who still tako a mild interest in the affairs of our University to know what tho reformers proposo to do. "Eootin' up f'r a starrt," as your Mr. Dooley says, is well enough in its way, but one would like to learn exactly what is to replace the plant torn up by the roots.

The two main causes of.complaint appear- to be—l'irst, that our courses do not allow enough specialisation, and, second, that the present system of examination by men at Home is a bad one. As to the first, I eay nothing beyond pointing out that even a pass , man can get his Arts degree with five subjects by repeating his favourite subject in a further examination. The , question of how soon or how far a student entering college should bo allowed to specialise is a difficult one. ■

On tho question of the Homo examinations, I for one am firmly of the.opinion that the time is not ripo for any great departure from the present system.'' In the past we have been fortunato enough to obtain the services of some of the most eminent men in their respective branches, of knowledge. For example, in classics' there has been Professor -Tyrrell, of Dublin, perhaps the foremost Ciceronian scholar of the day. His predecessor was Professor Eeid, bracketed Senior Classic, in his year at Cambridge, and a very well-known scholar. In other subjects it has been the 6ame. Surely a degree certified by such men is worth something oven from a serious point of view. Cun we—l ask this with all respect to our professors—can we find men of . such world wido reputation to do the examining in New Zealand? - Again, under tho present system, there must bo absolute impartiality. \Vo are none of us known to the examiner at Home, and on tho papers sent up no name appears, each candidate ■ simply heading his papers with a code word. It is nothing to' the examiner whethei Geode passes or Doldrums is ploughed. The case would bo quite different here— at least iu examinations for honours or senior scholarships. Tho result : in.. the special professional courses. has already been pointed out. No codo word could disguise from.the examining professor tho handwriting of his own candidate. When he caino to mark the papers, in the great majority of cases, to avoid all possibility of favouring,~he would mark his man low; and this would be unfair. Occasionally tho opposite might happen. Then our examinations would no longer be above suspicion, and moreover tho. door would bo opened to every kind of local jealousy and bitterness. Under the conditions necessarily prevailing at present, tho professors must.act as coaches, and must be brought into much closer contact with those attending lectures than is the case in tho older and larger universities. Imagine tho case of the unhappy professor who has a good candidate- for a senior scholarship, for which he is also ■tho examiner, lie has seen a great deal of his man for tho past three years, and takes tho-keenest interest in his success. He. sots the paper some months before the examination; and in those last few months, the most critical in tho course, ho has to teach his student, knowing perfectly well what questions he will have to answer, and jet trying to advise him what to revise and what to avoid, as though his mind were a perfect blank as to the contents of the paper. The situation would bo intolerable. There is room enough for reform without destroying the one thing that has made our degrees of value outside Now Zealand.—l nm, etc., ' C. P. D. COOK. Marton, Juno G, 1910. .