OVERHAUL IS NECESSARY, SAYS SIR GEORGE FOWLDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 1

OVERHAUL IS NECESSARY, SAYS SIR GEORGE FOWLDS

UNIVERSITY FOR EACH ISLAND lAM absolutely certain that the University system should be overhauled. The whole thing is an anachronism which no place else in this world would tolerate and which is laughed at when one attempts to describe the system. The above comment was made this morning by the Hon. Sir George Fowlds, C.8.E., a member of the University Council and a past Minister of Education, on the report issued by the Government concerning the University system.

“rpHIS thing is so big that I hope there will be 110 attempt made lo rush legislation through Parliament this session,” said Sir George. “It will take some thought and consideration to work out the implications of the report“l have for some time past been definitely of the opinion that the time is over-rjpe for the establishment of a university for the North Island and one for the South Island.

“In this respect some of the members of the University College Council did not quite agree with me. They much preferred the four separate universities, believing that we would carry into the new system some of the objectionable features of the present university system. “That could be got over by a more complete unification for the University of the North of New Zealand under one senate, with the local sections of the senate having the general supervision of that section of the university in their immediate vicinity. The general policy would be controlled by the United University Senate. FOUR UNIVERSITIES “The fact that in each of the islands we have three university colleges—that is including the Massey Memorial College at Palmerston North and Lincoln Agricultural College in Canterbury—makes it apparent to me that we are past the stage when we have to support four universities —Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. “If there weren't wo universities of New Zealand, the existing colleges would continue their work, but any possible over-lapping would be avoided as each college under the proposed new system would be expected to specialise in certain courses.

“The organisation of a University of the North of New Zealand would be simply part of the organisation of the three colleges—the Massey Memorial College and the Auckland and Wellington University Colleges, and the administrative expenses of the University of New Zealand would be saved. There might be a few more travelling expenres, but generally speaking there would be a big saving in expenditure. “If the expenditure were provided on a pro rata basis of population, with special provision for special schools, I think it would be a perfectly fair basis on which to work. “What appears in the published report regarding the salaries of professors and other staffs being paid by the Government does not appear to me to be reasonable in a university system. This would bring the universities into the same relation with the Minister of Education and the Education Department as the primary schools. DEPARTMENTAL CONVrOL “It is absolutely essential for a university system to be entirely free from departmental control and that whatever funds are available on any reasonable basis should be definitely handed over to the governing body of the university with complete freedom of action in the administration of those funds.” Sir George said that he had not yet been able to devote any great amount of time to a consideration of the report and that at present he was able only to refer to essentials. “PRETTY STUPENDOUS”

“I have only seen the Press reports as yet,” said Professor A. B. Fitt, Professor of Education at the Auckland University College, “and I do not know how to do justice to the Recess Committee, to the University or to myself. It is a pretty stupendous scheme that the committee has worked out and it would seem that much of its recommendations about the University have great good in them and much might be very bad; that is the first thought I had gained.” About the proposal to reorganise and separate the University of New Zealand, making two institutions. Professor Fitt said that broadly the proposal was in line with what many persons concerned about the future of University education had been fighting for. It would give in a measure more opportunity of handling what was an unwieldy educational machine. If the ideal was to preserve the British tradition and conception of what a University should be, then the movement was in the right direction. The only thing, however, which would make for complete realisation of the ideal would be four separate university colleges. In Professor Fitt’s opinion New Zealand was ready for that. “I believe,” said the professor, “that with a little courage Auckland could launch a sc ♦ me for its own University tomorrow. If we secured the beginnings of firm finance we could set up a university equal to that of any city of similar size in the world.” STATE INTERFERENCE A.sked if he feared State interference under the committee's proposals. Professor Fitt remarked that that was problematical. When attached to the University of Melbourne he found a real dread of the State controlling the University press and gvadually

asserting its influence to dominate higher education to the State’s own ends. In America he had discovered that many prominent universities had been sadly under political control but had freed themselves. “If a State gets control of our universities then it Till be a bad day for higher education in New Zealand,” commented the professor. "We must preserve the ideal of independence, otherwise education simply becomes another aspect of State service.” RESEARCH FACILITIES

Professor Fitt was pleased to see that the committee had recommended improved facilities for research. Today library and laboratory equipment was quite deplorable. The standard of education attained by students working under the disabilities which obtained in New Zealand university colleges had impressed him as a miracle. If a country was to progress in higher education its students must make research and not merely absorb the thought of the rest of the world. The university had been fighting for increased facilities for research. The tutorial staff had been absolutely ground down in the process of teaching, there being little time for research, investigation and independent thinking. “We wonder how much of our personality is left to us,” said Professor Fitt. “In spite of it we have made small beginnings, but have always been crippled by stress of work.”

Professor Fitt said he was not sure that the committee's recommendation for smaller classes referred particularly to universities. At all events, classes in Auckland were far too large. The ideal was 35 students, but several classes contained as many as 100. some even 120. The result was that it was not possible to know students individually, and there was no opportunity to divide them according to abilities. Inadequate staffing was the trouble, as a result of insufficient money.