UNIVERSITY COLLEGES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 149, 14 September 1927, Page 13

UNIVERSITY COLLEGES

ARE THERE TOO MANY? MINISTER HAS DOUBTS (THE SEE'S Parliament ary Reporter.) WELLINGTON', To-day. Does New Zealand really need four university colleges? The ♦Minister of Education, the Lion. R. A. Wright, seems to be in some doubt upon the point, for he says, in his annual report, presented to Parliament to-day. that it may be questioned whether in such a small country as this the four colleges are needed. “There are.” he says, “wide differences of opinion regarding the best method of reorganising university activities, but it seems generally accepted that, whatever system of control may eventually be evolved, it is desirable, in the meantime, to have one central university organisation, comprising four constituent autonomous colleges. The existence of four colleges has unfortunately led to duplication of university activities in certain directions, and consequently to increased expenditure on university education. In New, Zealand the cost is approximately 2s 9d a head of the , population. In Victoria it is Is lOd, in Tasmania Is 7d, and in New South Wales Is 2d. “It is doubtful whether any State gives more assistance to university work than is given in New Zealand. At the present time no less than 40 per cent, of the male students, and 50 per cent, of the fema.le students, have their university fees paid by the State. Free university education by means of scholarships and bursaries is, therefore, on a very liberal basis.”