TWO UNIVERSITIES OF N.Z.

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1051, 15 August 1930, Page 1

TWO UNIVERSITIES OF N.Z.

FAULTS OF PRESENT SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME PRESENTED report of the parliamentary committee THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. A COMPLETE reorganisation of secondary and university education is revealed in the second section of the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, presented in the House of Representatives today. The most important change in the University system is the establishment of two separate Universities of Northern New Zealand and Southern New Zealand. The training colleges are to be taken over by the universities, and the changes in technical and high school education, and the issue of leave tickets, are far-reaching.

Dealing with post-secondary education, the committee summarises the defects as follow: —- Unduly lasge classes. Inedaquate libraries. Inadequate opportunities for research work on the part of the staff and students. Wasteful and unnecessary multiplication of special schools. Unduly small proportion of fulltime students attending .the university colleges. Lack of adequate safeguards in connection with the system of granting bursaries and studentships carrying the privilege of free university education. Inadequate and disparate salary and staffing scales at university colleges. Harmful domination of the whole held of post-primary education by the present university entrance scholarships and matriculation examinations. The comparatively low standard of matriculation, and the consequently low standard of university work in the junior classes. Maintenance of the system of duplicated external examination. Lack of proper co-ordination and co-operation between teachers, training colleges and university college schools of education. Lack of any adequate system of professional training for post-primary teachers. Lack of co-ordination and co-opera-tiou between technical colleges and university college technical schools. IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS Among the recommendations of the committee are: That the New- Zealand University be disestablished and that its accumulated funds and annual revenue from State sources be made available for the improvement of libraries and staffing conditions at the university colleges. in accordance with the scheme set out below. That the existing university colleges, agricultural colleges, research institutions, teachers’ training colleges, and the four city technical colleges be consolidated within each island td form two self-contained univeraitles. That these universities be universities of limited charter, with provision for reciprocity in the recognition of degrees and diplomas, and that they be empowered to arrange tor joint examinations as may be found desirable. That the governing body of each university be composed of representatives elected by each of the constituent institutions, and that each institution should contribute a proportionate share of expenses incurred by such governing body. That to ensure the fullest co-ordina-tion between the research and teach'ug institutions within each university, the Department of Education and the department of Scientific and Industn*l Research be placed under the Sa ~ B Ministerial control. . of the accumulated funds of con 6W Zealand University, a sum cf *■-0,000 be devoted to the immediate QUipment of university college waries, and the remainder set apart 8 a permanent endowment for their maintenance. *>« annual savings'effected by the “tuition °£ the present New Zealand niversity examinations and the reganisation of a bursary system, as i ßre ‘ na fter provided for, be devoted'to Proving the staffing of the univer- . J colleges, particularly in the arts “ science departments. On u t * le endowment known as the Paku Reserve be resumed as a endowment for the benefit of ]. . Lnlver stty of Northern New Zeabe 1 ant * , * lat tR® revenue therefrom übov VOted t 0 le P llr P oses set ou t

Tal investigation be made into the °f all public educational en- , In New Zealand, to ascerderiv'jhet*ler greater benefit can be w hol« # from hße lßl , a »<l that the with 0f tfle endowments be dealt °n a national basis.

staffing and salaries satarf 1 a uniform scale of staffing and tionn 63 ° e adopted for all instituver»i«rolni>r* se< i within the two unitearhi eS ’ ant * ikat all the salaries of direct. PaW by G ° V ‘ i«Mion a .l an iaitial basis of reorganand o’ y? e un * v ersities of Northern Powered 1 * erU Sevv Zealand be emgrarn a to c ‘ on duct courses and school* e^ rees in those subjects and Present *° r their work is at land T ; n . ap P rov ed by the New Zea3tandardlVersity’ with respect to the entrance . &n ,? na ture of university That i# and gree examinations. and insofar as, these are

inferior to the standards of the best British universities, they should, as soon as possible, be brought into line therewith. That as far as is practicable the examination system be an internal one and that all examinations, as far as possible, should be conducted by New Zealand examiners. That the training colleges in the four centres be handed over to the control of the University College authorities, together with their buildings equipment and staffs, and that the general lecturers so handed over be utilised to reduce the size of classes in the university arts and science departments. That the professional lecturing staff of training colleges be consolidated with that of the university schools of education and psyologieal clinics •-> form a strong school of education in each centre, and that provision be made for educational research work, to be undertaken in conjunction therewith. That university degrees in education be established for teachers and administrators, with endorsement as to special fields for which qualifications are obtained. AUCKLAND’S PART That within the University of Northern New Zealand, the Auckland University College should undertake the training of sub-primary and primary teachers and that the Victoria University College and the Massey Agricul tural College should undertake the training of post-primary ana agricultural teachers, and that within the University of Southern New Zealand, the Otago University should undertake the training of sub-primary and primary teachers and Canterbury College and the Canterbury Agricultural College the training of post-primary agricultural teachers. The committee recommends the medical examination of primary and secondary children and the extension of school dental service to country districts. It recommends the encouragement of often air schools, the abolition of homework in grammar and arithmetic in primary schools, and in primary and post-primary schools a reduction of homework to a minimum.

Corporal punishment should be reduced to a minimum. Manual training facilities for backward children should be extended, and occupational centres established for those unable to compete after leaving school in ordinary occupations. Regarding religious instruction, the committee recommends the Nelson system, with liberty to teachers as to whether they take part. The committee favours the control of education at the Cook Islands and Western Samoa under the Education Department. SUPERANNUATION MAXIMUM Regarding superannuation, the committee recommends the maximum allowance to £3OO for all teachers, Including professors, aud that contributions to the fund be fixed on an actuarial basis. The committee is of opinion that the Dominion should be represented at Imperial education conferences and favours an interchange of teachers in the Empire. District education boards are recommended to control all forms of postsecondary and secondary education outside the four centres. Regarding leaving certificates, the committee recommends the extension of the individual progress-card system to the intermediate and senior stages, leaving certificates in three grades according to the proficiency of pupils, and higher leaving certificates to reach the standard of matriculation.

Facilities are provided for pupils going from any class of school and reaching the University by means of certificates. Bursaries tor universities are recommended to be abolished and a system of straight-out grants made to deserving students. An immediate change over to respective schools of pupils is recommended, and building operations are to be continued, despite the financial stringency. A reduction in the sizes of classes is urged, so that the maximum within five years will be 35.