SOME UNIVERSITY PROBLEMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1868, 30 September 1913, Page 4

SOME UNIVERSITY PROBLEMS.

SUBJECTS OF STUDY. [By L. H. 6. Greenwood, M.A.] (Follow ami Tutor of Emmanuel Col lege, Cambridge.) Titr. Greenwood was educated at Oi&borno State School, at Ohnist'a CaUeuc, at Canterbury College, and at King's College, Cambridge; and has been a teacher and oxaminer at University, at. Canterbury College, and (for the past four years) at Cambridge University."!

I should be glad to see a radical change made in the courses of study required for University degrees. What 1 have to say applies primarily 'to degrees in nrts; I feel myself less able to speak with confidence ; of degrees in science. But I seo no reason why what, I am sure holds good of the olio should not hold good of tho other. At present, the B.A. degree is only granted to students who have studied, and passed examinations in, cither iivo or six subjects: and no student is able to specialise in a single subject exclusively until ho lias taken that degree, not, that is to say, until ho lias completed three years of study at tho University. This system I hold to bo illsuited aliko to the weaker and to tho abler students. The weaker students are unable to gain an adequate knowledge of any subject at all; and the stronger students aro nccdl<;ssly hampored in devoting themselves to tho line,of work in which they are chiefly, interested, and in which they may bo expected to excel. The general upshot of my proposals is, roughly, twofold: 1. To reduco the number of subjects studied by any one student during his University career. 'J. To enable thoso students who aro both able and willing to study a single subject only to do so unchecked from the first.

Any proposals of this kind arc likely to bo vigorously attacked. Wo do ir-t, it ivill be said, roquire in this country a sot of experts, scholars, learned men,, specialists, who know all about their own subject, and nothing about anything else. ' Wo require men and women who have had a good general education, not greatly different in kind from wh..t the schools call provide, but going further and deeper: an education which is not indeed unduly technical, but yet takes into account'tlio careers those men and women are to follow, and which is fitted, in this now and practical country, for the practical needs of life. Therefore, it is argued, we must not narrow tho field of: study. Lot some provision bo made for specialist work ■ after graduation, of which those can avail thomselves who are fit for it, and can spare the time . and rnoneq; but let our normal .University course rest on • the broadest possible basis of goneral culture. With the feeling that lies behind such a lino of argument, I am in complete sympathy. Tho end proposed. is tho right one. It is precisely because tho present system is not the best means by which to achieve this end that I wish tho present system to bp changed. It has 'been well said of lifo generally, that happiness is indeed the summum bonum, but that to aim at happiness is not the way to secure it. 1 believe very much tho samo thing is truo of education. A broad, general education is the best thing to gain; but yet I think it is true that whero University lifo is vigorous and healthy, more breadth is gained by studying one or two things carefully, than by dipping slightly into, a greater number.

Interest and Progress. Why is this ? Simply because University study can only bo profitable if the student is keenly interested in his work, and- no student can be keenly interested • in four or five different subjects at once. This is true, though less true, even of younger porsons. School teachers who understand their profession know that; children, if you try to make them learn too many different things at once, .are reduced to a stato of mental confusion, tho suro couscqueuco of which is dullness and boredom. Upon the University student the effect is far worse. Continued sudden transition from , 0110 subject to another totally different subject is _ not, as j might bo imagined, either , a wclcomo relief or a wholesome piece of mental gymnastic. It is an irritating and unwholesomo strain, against which tho mind cannot long hold out without lapsing into a passivo stato that is incompatible with interest and therefore with progress. The brain becomes the jaded receptacle of a crowd of miscellaneous facts, which it may retain, and may be able to reproduce, after a fashion, under tho temporary stimulus of examination, but which it cannot digest or appreciate, and which ruin its appetite, for the timo certainly, and probably for ever. . Tho appeal to authority is invidious and probably unconvincing. I mako one such appeal only, and that a brief one. The University of Cambridgo, though its educational system still retains a few traces of antiquity, lias been transformed, within tho last generation, by a series of almost startling changes, into a-i institution which nil those who really know anything of it admit to be in tho van of modern progress. I wish to insist on this very strongly, becauso a wholly different conception of the place continues to prevail, a generation after there is any justification for it. Cambridge is 'in reality a -University in which residence for three years .or more is admitted to give its students tho opportunity of an education not to be surpassed in tho world for fidelity to fact combined with breadth of outlook. Yet once, tho Previous Examination is passed—which corresponds roughly to our Matriculation Examination—no student is .required, in order to gain his degree, to pass examinations in more than two subjects: and a great many, perhaps a majority, of the abler men study a singlo subject only during tho whole of their University career. Tho result is two-fold. On the one hand the.v tako a real interest in their main work', and make real progress in it. On tho other hand, this work does not use up the whole of their mental activity. They are free, not only to "read round" tlicir subject, but to tako a spontaneous and genuine, if passing, interest, in countless other things. The medical man may, and often does, read Keats or Victor Hugo for love of tho authors: the classical student will dip into acoustics or tho Mendelian theory becauso lie likes doing so, and not because, he will havo to answer questions about these things in some examination. The book shelves of every student who is not a fool or a waster contain many Kood books that havo no direct bearing at all upon his special subject: and those books he is able to read, to think about-, and to discuss with his friends. I must, howovor, not arguo further the soundness of tho general principle which I advocate. It is perhaps worth while to assume this principle accepted, and to indicate the sort of rearrangement of courses of study and examinations in our University that would lie nocessarv to carry the principle into effect. If I make rather definite proposals, it is' for tho snlce of clearness, and not because I attach great importance to each detail: I omit, moreover, a number of minor details that do not affect the general issue. Two Kinds of Examination. 1. 1 n cacli subject there should be two kinds of examination, the ' pass" or "ordinary," and tho "honours." Courses of study should be established leading un to these examinations. (I hope thero is ro need for me to repent that it is

in tho study, and not in tho examinations, that tho importance of University work lies.) 2. Tho "ordinary" courses should bo regarded, in general, not as preparatory to "honours" courses, but as alternative to them. They should bo easier, and suited to tho needs of tho loss able students. 3. Tho "honours" courses should bo divided into two parts. These should bo of approximately equal difficulty, but tho second part should always be a sequel to tho first, and go further and deeper into the subject. Tho first part should, however, bo complete in itself so far as it goes. 4. The qualification for the Bachelor's degree should bo one of the following: — (a) Passing the "ordinary" examination in three subjects; (b) passing two parts of an "honours" examination, either in the same on in two different subjects; (c) passing isomo apjvoved combination of "ordinary" and "honours" examinations: I should suggest that this combination should bo either (i) two "ordinary" examinations, with one "honours" part in a third subject;or (ii) two "ordinary" examinations, with ono "honours" part in one of tho two subjects already taken, provjded, in this last case, that .the' candidate gains at least second-class honours. In all cases the keeping. of throe years' terms should be required, and the keeping of four years' terms allowed. o. The qualification for the Master's degree should be' tho keeping of four years' terms, and in addition one of the following:—(a) The Bachelor's degree, however gained, together with the subsequent passing of ono part of an "honours" examination. (b) Tho Bachelor's degree, if gained on two parts of an "honours" examination in the same subiiect, together with an approved piece of original or research work in that subject: this research work may, if, permission bo'given, bo done away from tho candidate's college, and tho rule requiring tho keeping of the fourth year's terms be relaxed for that purpose. 16. Tho regulations that control tho ■ times when students sit for their examinations should bo so framed as to mako it easy for candidates to study one subject at a time and no more, but possible for them to study more if neccssary. 7. Students who desire to be admitted to any course of study, whether "ordinary" or "honours" should have to give satisfactory evidence of being qualified to do so. For "ordinary" courses the Matriculation examination should provide an adequate test; and for "honours" coursos tho examination for junior scholarships'. For subjects that are not studied at school, tho evidenco would have, of course, to bo of rather a general nature.

8. The names of successful candidates should bo nrranged in three clnssos, with tho names in each class not in order of merit, but in alphabetical order: but special marks of distinction should be placed, where they are deserved, against tho na,racs of those who are awarded first-class honours. Unsuccessful candidates in any "honours" examination should, if they have done well enough, be declared to have attained the "ordinary" standard in that subject, and bo regarded, in respect to their qualifications for the Bachelor's Degree, as being passed that "ordinary" examination.

These proposals do not, I think, require much in tho way of comment. I liavo put them forward rather to illustrate than to support my main argument. Of course, they will not win tho approval of those who reject the principle involved: and some of them, at least, may bo objectionable for other reasons. But lam sure that, once the principle has been accepted, it will be easy to embody it in practical proposals that will,.work well,; and satisfy everybody concerned. Upon the acceptance of that principle before long, I believe the prosperous development of our University deponds. Our present system is bad- for the weaker students, and worse for tho stronger. Until we can enable our abler students to devote themselves early in their University Jife, and for several years, instead of one, to the work for which they are fitted-— until we can do that, the best _ a University professor, can do for his abler students is to dispatch them as soon as possible to one or other of the Home Universities, whose systems will do them some justice, and give them some encouragement. For most of them this is impossible; and it ought not to bo necessary for any of them. May the day soon como when it will be necessaoy no longer 1 [In the first section of his ■ article (published in issue), Mr. Greenwood dealt with' tho question of examiners for'degrees.]