EFFICIENT TEACHING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 8

EFFICIENT TEACHING.

IN UNIVERSITIES. HOW CAN THE STATE GAUGE IT? (By Tolecraph.—Prese Association.) Chrlstchurch, Juno 13. At the capping ceremony _ at Canterbury College the proceedings in tho earlier stages wero rowdy. Sir Kobert Stout was interrupted continually. Eventually tho students roso and left the hall, and Sir Kobert Stout was ablo to proceed with his address. The Chancellor dealt at some length with tho proposed university reforms, and after contrasting tho constitution of tho Now Zealand University with thoso in Europe, he said that'they could start'the consideration of tho question of reform with threo propositions that ho did not think could bo assailed: (1) Tho New Zealand University is a State institution; (2) the State has a right to see that it is properly managed, and that the moneys of tho State given to it are properly utilised; (3) it is the duty of the Stato to sec that tho widest possible use is niado of 'this State institution, and that neither fear nor favour iniluences its management. He contended that tho State had a night to a Koyal Commission to university. Continuing, ho Eaid: "Tho question will then be: If tho Stato has. a right to know tho kind of student that is being turned out, how often is this inquiry to be mado? Ought not tho Stato to know yearly the work done? If not, why not? And if yearly, how can it know, save by external examination? The demand, therefore, for a Eoyal Commission admits tho right of the State to know how its highest educational institution is being governed, and what kind of knowledge the students possess. The State makes such inquiries concerning its primary and secondary education. Thero is a right of inspection in all schools, and tho matriculation scholarship and other entrance examinations and junior Civil Service examinations aro all external examinations, and aro somo guido to tho State as to the management of tho primary and secondary schools. If then it is the right and duty of tho Stato to know that persons getting degrees have knowledge, can tho State accept the report of the teachers? If the Stato ought to do so in tho caso of the university, why should it not do so in tho case of tho primary'and secondary schools? Inspections must bo done away with, and is there need of even a central Education Department? Further, is not a secondary school teacher as worthy of trust as a professor? And should not his certificate be sufficient for entrance into the university? Hitherto it has not been considered that any slur was cast on primary school teachers because the Education Board sent inspectors to report on their schools and on their teaching. It is a 6ystem usually adopted in all countries' wiiere there is State aid to education. Tho pubjio secondary schools oro also all open to inspection. I am not aware that the professors havo recommended that a certificate by any teacher of a secondary or primary school should bo sufficient to entitle a pupil to admittance to the university. Tho eminent professors in New Zealand, who have borne tho heat and burden of tho day, in founding our university system, not only have not complained of external examinations, but they were actually members of the Senate who established tho system. Need I mention the names ,of Professors Cook, Sale, Shand, Macgregor, and the two Browns amongst others?