CANTERBURY COLLEGE GOVERNORS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1873, 24 February 1880, Page 3

CANTERBURY COLLEGE GOVERNORS.

The monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College took place yesterday. There were present—Mr Montgomery (chairman), Eight Eev. the Primate, Kov. O. Fraser, Dr. Coward, Messrs Beeves, Potts, Fereday, Hamilton, F. do c. Malet, Inglis, and Wakefield. The Chairman reported that since last meeting he had written letters, previously approved of by the committee, to t Dr. Abbott, of London, and other gentlemen, re the appointment of masters for the Boys’ High School. He added that the building was progressing satisfactorily. With regard to the Girls’ High School, ho had much pleasure in stating that the attendance had increased since last year. In reply to the Bev. O. Fraser, The Chairman said he had endeavored to obtain copies of the Higher Education Bill, but it never came before Parliament. He would see that application was made to the commission for copies of the Bill. Various reports were then read, the first being the report of the College committee, as follows :

The committee recommends the Board to make provision for the purchase of a complete set of the Philosophical Transactions of the Eoyal Society of London from 16G5, at a cost of .£l5O, for the College Library, in accordance with a recommendation of the Professorial Council. The Eev. Mr Fraser moved that the recommendation be adopted. The motion was seconded by Mr Potts. Mr Hamilton remarked that it was a large sum proposed to be expended, but did not oppose the proposition. The question was then put to the meeting and carried.

The report of the estates committee was next read, and it was resolved to affix the seal of the College to the leases mentioned in the report. The agricultural committee reported as follows :

The committee recommends :—l. That there shall be a half-yearly admission for students, and a half yearly examination for scholarships. 2. Any applicant who has passed the IV. standard in a district school of the colony, or any

applicant who shall oh examination piss creditably that standard, will be admitted as a student, 3. Candidates for the agricultural scholarships shall be examined in the following subjects cf the VI. standard of the district schoolsßeading, writing, grammar and composition, English history, spelling and dictation, arithmetic, geography. The Rev. O. Eraser remarked that the half-yearly examination entailed a great deal of expense and work, and he should like to see some statement before the Board regarding it, before the adoption of the report was decided on.

Mr Reeves said, in moving the adoption of the report it might be well to look back upon the transactions of the committee and their experiences. There had been a reversal of the old policy with regard to this branch of education. The committee had good reason for believing the standard for scholarships in this branch was altogether too high, and the very name of matriculation had been known to frighten some ef those whom it was especially desired to attract, namely, the sons of farmers. The committee, having consulted with the professors, had resolved to reverse their policy, and they hoped and belived the action they bad taken, when it became known, would be productive of good. He moved the adoption of the report. Mr Hamilton had great pleasure in seconding the motion, more especially as he had been one of those who had opposed the original high standard. He was not quite sure, however, but that the present standard was not a little too low. But it was better to err on that side than the other.

The Rev. O. Eraser said whilst agreeing as to the standard having been originally too high, he could not coincide with the recommendation of clause 2of the report. If boys from the fourth standard were admitted at once as students, it would impose a hard task upon the lecturers and professors. He thought the students should, at least, have passed the fifth standard. If that were taken as a rule, it would meet the necessities of the case by inducing children to aspire to that degree. He proposed—“ That ‘ fifth ’ should be substituted for ‘ fourth ’ standard.”

Mr Wakefield supported the amendment He thought it would act beneficially for the boys themselves. Personally he entirely dissented frsm the whole reduction of standards. He thought it would hare been better if they had had more patience and waited till they could attract an educated class of youths, instead of being discouraged by one or two failures at the outset. Mr Inglis spoke in favor of the amendment, The bulk of the teachers throughout the country took the fifth standard, and there were a number of children instructed therein. The amendment to substitute “ five ” for “ four” in the second clause, was then put to the meeting and carried. The Rev. O. Fraser suggested, with regard to clause 3, that there should be no exceptional subjects in the sixth standard, but that it should simply state that candidates should be examined on subjects in the sixth standard, as it was used in the district schools. After some discussion the clause was amended in accordance with Mr Fraser’s suggestion. The report of the committee, as amended, was then adopted. The Board then went into committee to consider the report of the School of Agriculture committee in reference to expenditure, and on resuming adjourned.