THE UNIVERSITIES.

Evening Star, Issue 2942, 24 July 1872, Page 4

THE UNIVERSITIES.

Mr J. G. S. Grant well knows that his opinions as to the value of our educational institutions do not carry much weight with them in Otago ; so he endeavors to ventilate them in other places. Several of the Norpapers are pul dishing letters bearing his signature, in which he canvasses the merits of the two Universities, A few extracts from his letter will convey an idea of the style of composition he uses in referring to the Otago institution :—“Our Council has set apart 200,000 acres of the public estate to endow the local University, or, rather, an inferior sort of mechanics’ institute. Will the Colony issue Crown grants for such • avast aiea of the public domain, merely to uphold a fraternity of private tutors for embryotic lawyers, clerks, and raw storekeepers, for an hour every morning and evening’ before and after the day’s business transactions ? All they learn at the so-called University they might and could obtain at the evening classes in connection with the local schools. About a dozen of the raw men employed during the day in legal, mercantile, and official offices, receive an hour’s instruction in English and Latin—for Greek' is almost ignored—from the Classical Professor. Some of those, together with a few diggers and soap manfucturers, pass an hour in the chemistry class, A few embryotic surveyors and storekeepers get an hour’s tuition in Mathematics ; while three officials adorn for an evening hour the Natural Science class. Not many things escape my attention ; but, Sir, I have not yet been able to find out whether any real bona fide students took advantage this year of the Alphabetical Matrioculatiou Examination. Had any come forward beyond three females, the Press would have blazoned it abroad.” There is a little consolation however in knowing that Mr Grant’s estimate of the New Zealand University is as high as that of our institution. There is a glorious uncertainty about the competition for the Colonial scholarships. The lists of prize-takers that have been published only tend to increase the general haziness that exists on the subject j and enquiries instituted here have only led to the discovery that those who should be in a position to give information know little or nothing about the matter. The Nelson Examiner, in a recent article discussing the educational position of Nelson College, hints that there were twenty-five scholarships offered. The Colonist says:—“ The recent examination for New Zealand University scholarships sheds laurels on Nelson College. Nelson has long been distinguished for the thoroughness of its teaching; and the list of competitors shows a success which must greatly exceed even the most sanguine hojies of the College teachers. The original proposal of the University Council was to give twenty scholarships, of which four were to be of the value of L7O, and sixteen of the value of L 45 each. This proposal was subsequently modified, and, instead of this division of the LIOOO devoted to scholarships, the number of these was to be extended to twenty-five at L 45 each. In either case. Nelson College has gained a position of which it may well be proud. r i here were thirty-eight competitors from all parts of New Zealand. The competing schools numbered at least 700 pupils, of whom sixty-six attend Nelson College, or something under ten per cent of the entire number. Of the thirty eight competitors. Nelson College sent ten, or a little over a fourth of the whole. If the number of scholarships be twenty, Nelson College has secured eight, or two-fifths of the whole ; if twenty - five, she has gained ten ; that is to say, a scholarship to every one of the competitors she sent up for examination j—a success, wc undertake to say, unparalleled in the annals of competitive examinations,