CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1440, 27 September 1878, Page 2

CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

A meeting of the Board of Governors was held at Canterbury College, at 11 o’clock on Thursday morning. Present—Messrs E. de c. Malet (in the chair), Revs. C. Fraser and W. J. Habens, Dr. Turnbull, and Messrs Colborne-Ycel, H. J. Tancred, R, J. S. Harman, H. P. Lance, W. J. W. Hamilton, H. R. Webb, R. W. Pereday, T. H. Potts. SCHOLARSHIPS. In reply to a question, the chairman stated that open scholarships were confined to girls between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. ■WORKING TERMS. Mr Hamilton proceeded to read the following series of resolutions, notice of which he had given, at a previous meeting:—“l. That no pupil of the Girls’ High School under the age of fourteen shall be allowed to compete for any scholarship.” f‘ 2. That at the Board’s monthly meeting all business of the College proper, as distinguished from the school departments, shall stand first for discussion and settlement.” “3. That the present division of the calendar year into two working terms only, beginning 11th March and ending 11th October, is both uusuited to the climate of Canterbury, and also fails to provide sufficient continuous instruction during the year for those who require to pursue collegiate studies.” “4. That as at Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, and Melbourne Universities, the collegiate year here should bo sub-divided, if not into four, at least three terms, and so as to distribute study and vacation time more evenly over the year.” “5, That the longest vacation time should not exceed ten weeks, to be fixed between about the Bth December and 17th February, or the Ist December and 10th February,” “6. That the three working terms should each extend over twelve weeks.” “7. That in order to afford the fullest proper facilities for study to women from the country as well as from the town, hours of daylight should be fixed for all lectures which it may be presumed that women would be likely to attend.” “8. That the present time-table requires considerable modification, so as to bring all lectures as near as possible within hours of daylight.” “9. That the foregoing resolutions be remitted to the College Committee for their consideration and report.” “10. That the staff of Professors be informed that as the Board of Governors may possibly adopt considerable changes in the term and vacation time, they cannot guarantee that the vacation to commence after the 12th October next will be prolonged after the 10th of February, 1879. ’ ’ Mr Hamilton said be would withdraw the first resolution, with the leave of the meeting, and proceed with No. 2, If he had thought tho College would have been saddled with the I management of the Girls’ High school, he would have resisted it from the first. School matters were of minor importance, so far as the business of the College proper was concerned. lie, therefore, begged to more motion No. 2. The motion was seconded by Mr Harman. The Rev. Mr Habens thought that, as the Board of Governors had undertaken the business of management of the Girls’ High school, it would be a great pity to tie the chairman’s hands, and say to him “ there is a certain resolution, which you shan’t bring on until a certain hour of the afternoon.” He considered the conducting of the Girls’ High school was just as much a part of their business as the looking after the College itself. The motion was then put, and there voted for it five, against it five. The Chairman gave hie casting vote with the noes, and the motion was therefore lost. Mr Hamilton next moved resolution No. 3. He should prefer to divide the terms into three instead of two, as that he was sure would be found to work much better. Ho failed to see the sense of the present arrangement. The Sootchsystemmightbeverywellfor Scotchmen and in a Scotch climate, but it was by no means suited to Canterbury. They had to consider their own people aud their own young men. They had a peculiar climate here, and the young men could, not stand the same amount of work as they could in England, They ought to divide the time between work and rest, and he did not see that they should depart from the system which had been so successful elsewhere. There were three terms at Oxford and Cambridge and at Trinity College, Dublin; also in Melbourne. It was time they enquired whether this system would suit them better than tho Scotch. In Canterbury there were not those occupations for young men during holiday times that there were in other places. Here on this flat plain there was no fishing, shooting, or botanising, and no hills to climb and explore, nor could they in town attend picture galleries and lectures as in the old country. Indeed they had very few ways of occupying their time during these long holidays. Again, at home the students wore the sons of wealthy men, and could afford to get private tutors to coach them up in the vacations. Some might say that they could read for themselves during the four or five months of leisure time ; but, as a rule, they did not for many reasons do so. Ho contended that at the present time they had not a College here in the home acceptation of the word —it was half way between a College and a big public school. He had asked tho opinion of a lad who had a good deal of experience in our college system, aud he was of opinion that the system of terms as at present arranged was radically wrong. This was a question with which lie considered the professors should have nqthing to do. They came out here, and had much larger salaries and fees than they had at home, and attached altogether too much importance to their position. With regard to the members of the Board who were absent at Wellington, he believed that if they had been present, three or four of them would have supported bis resolutions.

The motion was seconded by Mr Lance, Rev. Mr Fraser was not at all sure that the present system of terms was the best thing for them. He believed the Scotch system was the very worst which could be introduced. In order to put the matter on to a proper basis, he would move as an amendment “ That the question he referred to a special committee, to consider and report on what changes it may be desirable to make fu the college in order to bring the actual time spent in tuition to the maximum of thirty-six weeks in the year.” Seconded by Mr Tancred. Mr Fcrcduy opposed the amendment and the motion, with neither of which did ho agree. Referring to Oxford and Cambridge, he slider] that the terms at one place were twenty-two, and at the other twenty-four weeks in the year. They were differently situated hero to the other provinces, and practically the long vacation was never less than four months.

The Rev. Mr Habens wus not prepared to veto for either the motion or the amendment, though he preferred the latter. He was not at all sure that they were entitled to ask the students or the professors to do more work than they did at home. Ho believed that in the old country twenty-six weeks was the actual terms of the colleges, aud unless it could bo

shown that the change would bo an advantage he was not prepared to vote for it. He should like to to have heard some discussion why the terms were changed from three to two at that college. He knew there was a groat deal of discussion about at it the time, and some very good reasons must have been shown for the change. Mr Lance said that the terms at Oxford and Cambridge wore longer than was supposed, if they took into account the examinations. The Chairman read a statement of the length of the terms at homo and elsewhere. Dr Turnbull agreed in the main with the resolutions of Mr Hamilton, who considered was entitled (o the thanks of the Board for bringing the subject forward. There was nothing which had given lam more dissatisfaction with the college than this question of terms. He remembered when the alteration had taken place it was on the understanding that it was to bo of a temporary character. The professors received much larger salaries than their brethren at home, and the idea of their having five months’ holiday in the year was simply preposterous. And to tell him that twenty-six weeks was was enough for the students was one of those things which he could not understand. If there was any time when they were capable of studying it was from the age of sixteen to twenty-two or so, and hero, where there were no tutors and no “coaches,” five months enforced idleness was not at all desirable. With regard to one by their professors who gave chemical lectures, which read very prettily in print, it was a well known fact that that gentleman had not furnished a single analytical report on any subject that could be serviceable to the community. Ho would support the motion of Mr Fraser, that the whole matter should be referred to a select committee.

Mr Hamilton spoke to the amendment at some length, and also replied to the objections that bad been made to bis motion. In conclusion, he said he would bo prepared to accept the amendment of Mr Fraser. In reply to a question, Air Hamilton said he did not desii’e to withdraw his resolution. The motion was then put and negatived, and the amendment became a substantive motion. Rev. Mr Habens moved as an amendment—- “ That the professors should bo consulted by the committee on the question of the thirtysix weeks of work during the year. Rev. Mr Fraser did not think this an amendment —it was simply an addition, which he might himself be prepared to move afterwards.

After some discussion, Mr Fraser’s motion was put and carried by 7 votes to o. On the motion of Mr Fraser, the following names were placed on the committee: — Messrs Tancred, Turnbull, Lance, Veel, Malet, Foreday, and the mover. Rev. Mr Fraser moved —“ That the committee be requested to confer with the professors.” Dr, Turnbull remarked that, on a former occasion, when a similar motion had been passed, the professors sat with the committee and voted with them. Ho would therefore move as an amendment —“That the Professorial Council be asked to consider the question and to give the committee the benefit of their opinion.” The Rev. Mr Fraser would accept this amendment in place of his motion. The rev. gentleman then moved it. Seconded by Rev. Mr Habens, The motion was agreed to. Mr Hamilton said the question having now been referred to a committee, ho would not move the other resolutions, the subject matter of which would no doubt be dealt with by the committee. COItEGE COMMITTEE’S IiEPOUT. •

The report of this committee was read as follows ;

1. The committee reports on clause 0 of the College Committee Report, August 2t)th, referred to the committee by the Board, that the difficulties in the way of providing for instruction in hi-tory in the College arise from the want of funds. 2. The committee recommends that all communications from members of the teaching staff should come through the Professorial Council. 3. The committee recommends that for the future the salary of the College porter be TOO, and the care akcr at the Girls’ High school be T3O per annum. 4. The committee reports on the letter of the chairman Titnaru school committee, dated 3rd August, referred to it by the Board, as fohows— The committee does not see that the Board of Governors has I any grounds for interfering in the matters of the arrangements for a temporary High School department in the district school at Timaru. 5. A letter has been received from the chairman along with a Bill for establishing a High School in Timaru. and the following resolutions have been passed thereon : G. Clause Iff. of the Bill—The committee i 3 of opinion that it would be undesirable for the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College to appoint any persons to 1)3 governors of the school proposed to be established, constituted by a Bill intituled the Timaru High School Bill, 1878.

7. Clause X of the Bill—Tho committee sees no objection to clause X, provided that the turn of .£6OOO, Isss amounts disbursed by the Board on behalf of the Timaru school, is mentioned in the Act, in order to place the apportionment of the sura of £ 16,000 handed over by tho Government beyond doubt. 8. Clause XVI. of the Bill—Tho committee considers that (in clause XVI. of the Bill) to vest absolutely a specilic portion of the reserves set apart t for secondary education under the Education Eeserves Act, 1877, is entirely opposed to the spirit of tho Act. !>. That the Education Eeserves Act, 1877, evidently contemplated an increase in future of the revenue applicable to secondary education, and this increased revenue would he available for the support of new high schools to meet now requirements ; but the permanent appropriation of a portion of the property to the support ot one particular school would so far prevent that portion from meeting such new requirements. That supposing it to he desirable to permanently endow any particular school, tho endowment here proposed appears to be excessive for one school. That if, notwithstanding these objections, an Act Ehoukl 1)3 passed for creating a special endowment for the Timaru High School, it seems only fair that an endowment of at least -equal value should be created for the support of the High School to be established in Christchurch under the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College. 10. A letter has been received from Mr Barker forwarding his resignation as teacher of class singing at the Girls’ High School. 70. The committee recommends that the committee he authorised to make the appointment of teacher of class singing in the Girls’ High School. 11, The committee recommends that the three open exhibitions of .£2O in the Girls’ High School, he confined to girls between tho ages of fourteen and seventeen. That the subjects for examination be Latin, Mathematics, English History, and Modern Languages. 12, That the four close examinations of J3lO each he confined to the pupils of the four highest classes, and that the exhibitions be awarded for the highest number of marks for good conduct, diligence, during the year, and tho marks for the examination. That the subjects for the examination be the work done during tho preceding year. 13. The committee recommends that the examination be held towards the end of tho present term, and that the committee be authorised to appoint examiners from the Professors of the College, and to take all tho necessary steps for the conduct of the examination.

The first four clauses wore agreed to, Eev Mr Fraser moved that clause 5 be omitted.

Considerable discussion ensued, it being the opinion of some of the members that the matter had been somewhat hurriedly taken up, and that it would be a mistake to pass the Bill without members of that Board becoming acquainted with its provisions. Mr Hamilton said tho Bdl hud emanated from Mr Turnbull, of Timaru.

Dr Turnbull seconded the motion, that the clause be omitted, Mr Hamilton concurred with the last speaker. Clltimately the clause was agreed to. Clauses (1, 7, and 8 were carried.

On the motion for carrying clause 0, Eav Mr Fraser moved, as an amendment, that in subsection 3 after tho word “ endowment ” in the fourth lino the following words be introduced ; —“ In proportion to (lie population of the respective educational districts.” The amendment was carried.

At this stage the attention of the chairman was called to the fact that there was no quorum. , The meeting then came to an abrupt close.

NOTICE OF MOTION. Dr. Turnbull gave the following notice of motion for the next meeting day—“ That, notwithstanding the foregoing resolution, this Board is of opinion that the Tim iru High School Bill should bo postponed until next session of Parliament, so ns to give time tor the careful consideration of the largo interests involved and for the drafting of the Bill that will do justice to all interests concerned.”