OTAGO AND THE NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1431, 16 September 1878, Page 3

OTAGO AND THE NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY.

[By Telegraph.l

COBEMPONDEMT OP THE I’KESS.] Dunedin, September 11. At the University Council to-duy Mr Bathgate said he had long felt that the New Zealand University was not what was originally intended, and was undoubtedly a sham. For the first few years of its existence it was intended as a teaching body, but a very imperfect account was rendered of the £3OOO a year expended on it. A subsequent statute gave it the status of a professional examining body, and he had heard recently with much surprise that there was no uniform standard for higher educatjon throughout the colony. With regard to the School of Medicine at Christchurch, ho was informed that the

standard ns to certificates differed from that of the University of Otago. This was a great drawback, and if the New Zealand University failed to secure a high uniform standard throughout the colony, then obviously it failed to carry out the functions of a proper examining body, and was not worth the money the'colony paid for its maintenance. In the next place, it had a tendency, by affiliating secondary schools, mere high schools in short, to prevent the due development of a University education in the largo centres of population throughout the colony, The attempt to raise secondary schools to a University level would undoubtedly fail. These reasons would induce him to support a certain motion when it came forward for argument. The motion was to the following effect: — “ Whereas the New Zealand University has failed in the due promotion of higher education in the colony, and has proved to bo an obstacle in the way of the proper teaching of arts and philosophy, it is expedient that the University of Otago should bo disassociated from it, and should revert to its original independent status, and that steps be forthwith taken in that behalf, the chancellor to resume the power of conferring degrees.” The Vice-Chancellor said :—I am not sure but that you do a little injustice to the medical school of Canterbury in your statement. Mr Uathgate —1 may be erroneously informed.

The Vice-Chancellor replied that in Canterbury the medical school applied for permission to conduct a preliminary examination as was done here.

Mr Bathgate thought their efforts were being clicked by being united to tho tail of the New Zealand University.