HIGHER EDUCATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17973, 19 March 1930, Page 3

HIGHER EDUCATION.

BUSINESS MEN’S SUPPORT NEEDED VISITING PROFESSOR’S VIEWS. The need for a greater Interest in the university colleges of New Zealand by business men generally was emphasised by Professor S. Angus, lecturer in New Testament Studies at St. Andrew’s College, Sydney University. He is returning to Australia after spending three months in America under arrangement with three prominent universities there. Professor Angus has been lecturing on the history of religion at Columbia University, the staff of which includes John Dewey, the world-famous educa- • tionist, and the principal of which is Dr. Murray Butler'. He also gave courses at Chicago University, and at Berkeley, California. Several of his text-books on theology have earned a world-wide reputation, his latest work, “The Religious Quests of tile GraecoRoman World,” being widely used. America’s Future. America was greatly interested in education, Professor Angus said. There was a zest for learning throughout the country, and although it was true to a certain extent that the American educational system was in the melting pot it was also true that the Americans would find a way out. He believed America had a message to give the world, and it was striving to give adequate expression to its ideals. There was great experimentation being made, and there was no doubt that the Americans would evolve a definite type. To one from Australia or New Zealand it w'as remarkable to see the great interest taken by business men in the United States. They realised the value of higher education, and they were making it possible, by endowments and generous gifts during their lives, to build up a powerful educational system. America could now afford to secure the best brains in the world to serve her educational purposes. Some such interest in higher education was needed among the business men of New Zealand. Their support would do much to improve the prestige of the colleges.

Study of Religion. There was great interest in religion among the American university undergraduates, a large proportion of whom took a course in if for their degrees. Professor Angus said he had a class of 85 taking his course for masters’ and doctors’ degrees at Columbia. This great university had a roll of 20,000, of whom 5000' altended the teachers’ training school. The school trained teachers who came to it. from all over the world, and it was proving a powerful factor in the education of the people through those it trained.