N. Z. UNIVESITY.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 31 January 1912, Page 2

N. Z. UNIVESITY.

The meeting' of the Senata is remarkable for the usual struggle fcetween the reform party of the professors and the consitiorative selection led by the Chancelor. This year the: c is the difference that the reformers have won v step. They have carried a resolution for an anuual meeting of the Professors and other experts to ad-vise the Senate on matters. Most people agree that this is a step in the right direction, for the simple reason the experts are the only ones whose opinion is valuable when taken alone,

Of course the trouble is that the Senate has like all authorities1 to consider other things besides the claims of experts, while the tendency of experts is to insist that everything must give way to what may be but a fad elevated to the dignity of an axiom, There is every a Ivantage in the opportunity for the advice dictatorial. Therefore it may well be hoped that the senate will not permit this professorial Council to mate any farther progress in this direction. The main point in the public mind with reference to Univerity education is the need for making it more1 immediately useful to the Dominion. How shall we secure the highest standard of all degrees, in law, engineering, science, letters, agriculture, that is the question. The University cannot undertake to turn out finished lawyers, doctors, engineers o'r-finished anything except perhaps professors. But even the last may be doubted after the carrying by the weight of professorial voting of the senseless proposaljthat a secular university shall give Degrees of Divinity. Professors who will go that length may be regarded as generally untrustworthy. There is declamation in some quarters that the University does not teach agriculture, but so long as theie is a college like Lincoln there can-be nothing in such objection The college sees to the practise, while the University takes care that the theory is properly taught,all along the line subject. This is only what it ought to do in aU the departments of - education. The University ensures the best teaching, it is for the studenta to perfect themselves for the practical part that earns money. No University turns out blacksmiths or carpenters or lawyers or doctors, but every University sees to it that these or some of them are taught the best things, in their training. The chock on the teaching is the annual examination. The professors insist that this ought to be conducted by local men. The Chancellor replies that this is attended to in departments of education which have enough local men qualified out-, side the ranks of the professors. As the professors do not see that any other course would make the University a mutual admiration society, one may leave the question in the hands of the Chancellor, Lastly, if the latter would only treat the professors with less combativeness and more of the dignity proper to academic procedure the University would be a happier family and might do more good.