STUDENTS FEWER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1726, 17 April 1913, Page 6

STUDENTS FEWER.

. ——• VICTORIA COLLEGE RETURNS.

REASONS ASSIGNED. A considerable falling-off in the total number of students attending Victoria College has been, disclosed by a comparison of tho present year's figures with those of last yar. A table presented ,by tho Registrar, at last night's meeting of the council, showed the position to be as follows:—

Professorial Board'ii Letter of Explanation In explanation of tho matter, Professor D. K. l'ickcn, on behalf of tho Professorial Board, wroto as follows:—,' "A committee of tho Professorial Board has goiie into tho question of the decrease this year, in the. number of students enrolled in the college classes. Tho board believes that its estimate of tho situation may bo of use to th-5 council: "1. So far as tho board's information goes, the number oi: new students is considerably less, in nost cases, than last year's, and tho average number of classes taken by a student is also less. Both of these faets may bo chiefly attributed to the general increase of fees; and the latter is an altogether satisfactory effect of the uliang;'. "2; A different, cause producing effects of I lie same kind is an alteration in. tho policy of the Teachers' Training College. The actual number of individual training college students attending this collego has sliglii.lv increased, but the number of their class-enrolments has slightly decreased. The chancy again is a. wiso one from the point of view of both colleges. The actual increase is. reflected in the numbers of tho education class. Ar.d there is also a considerable increase in the biology classes from this source; but this is more than compensated by de:rease in the number attending other science classes (especially meiital science).

"3. A tendency to continual decrease of the college numbors, over a period- of yc/irs—in part due to more stringent conditions of matriculation—has been cloaked for the past two years by the large influx (a) of law students lit 1011-I'-?, (b) of eomni'H'ce students in 1912. As to (a), tho reduction of some 311 per cent, in tho number of students taking New Zealand law subjects in the present year must l>e regarded in the liglr: of the fact that the proportionate increase of fees is greatest 111 this department, while attendance at its classes is not a necessary qualification for the law degree. As to (b), the ca.sc of last year was altogether exceptional for the commerce department, because of Hie very large iiiinilwr of candidates for MCLoun-talicy examinations seeking to take advantage of the la-t; occasions upon which tho old regulations were to be in iipcriilioa. And this accounts lor'-the disparity between the number of couiiuerco students of this vc,-ir and hsl. "4. A goaeral tendency to decrease in the

experiment science classes is shown by a marked decreaso in tho chemistry numbers, and by tho fact that a special accession of Post Office students in physics and of Training College students i" biology have not appreciably increased tho numbers for these departments. In this connection it is nccessary to keep iu mind the heavy fco of more than .£6 Gs. for each experimental science, aud tho difficulty of fitting tho time required by these subjects into tho evening arrangements. "5. Since mathematics ceased to be compulsory. for tho B.A. degree, thero has been (in the past two years) a very marked decrease iu the number attending tho class of pure mathematics. "0. The new university regulations in reference to history have caused a decrease in the number of students attending the class of constitutional history, with corresponding increase in the class of history. "7. It must be remembered that the smaller classes are necessarily liable to considerable irregular fluctuations from year to year." Discussion. Sir Robert Stout did not agree with the statement regarding tho matriculation examination, which 110 contended 'was not harder than it was years ago. The chairman (Mr. C. Wilson) saw 110 reason to regard the diminution in the number of students in any serious-light so long as tho quality was better. Tho raising of tho foes had resulted in tho first place in weeding out a number of students who simply camo to tho college to take advantage of various social institutions. It was satisfactory to note that \tfiile tho numbers had decreased somewhat, tho fees had increased. On the motion of Air, J. G. W. Aitkcn, it was decided to receive the letter to\thank tho board for the information.

1912. 1913. English lafi 113 Education TO (is Latin, and Greek 175 13G French find German 87 50 .Mental Science 15 100 Economics 41 33 Commerce 61 18 Jurisprudence GO 5i lairs ....* 129 89 Mathematics 17 32 Mechanics 15 20 Physics 25 31 Chemistry 40 22 Jliology 38 32 Geology 10 10 , Students attending... 5-1B 420 Jfew students, — llli