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that those difficulties could be obviated; and, therefore, I would beg to answer this second question conditionally in the affirmative. In Provinces where there are no schools endowed or controlled by Government, how is the selection to be made of those schools to which exhibitions are to be granted ? A selection to be made by Government would not, I think, be advisable. The following plan appears to me to be eligible :— (a) That each exhibition be granted for one year, the holder of an exhibition to be, of course, capable of re-election; (6) That the examination of candidates be held annually in the several Provinces simultaneously, and be conducted by means of printed or written questions and written answers exclusively; (c) That the answers be adjudicated upon by a Central Board of Examiners; and (d), that each successful candidate be allowed to choose the school to which he shall be consigned for the ensuing year. If University Scholarships be established, I think their effectual working would be materially promoted by the foundation of exhibitions in the Schools. 3.] In a country such as New Zealand now is, it would scarcely be practicable for all candidates for the scholarship to be assembled in one place. The examinations ought, I consider, to be held simultaneously in the various Provinces, and to be conducted by means of printed or written questions and written answers exclusively. The questions might be framed either in. New Zealand, or in Australia, or in Britain. Every security ought, of course, to be taken that a candidate should have no opportunity of becoming acquainted with any of the questions before the moment of the examination upon it; at which time he should be debarred from all use of books or other adventitious aid. A trustworthy official should, of course, be present throughout each examination, who should be responsible for the observance of the regulations. The adjudication upon the answers would be made by a Board of Examiners at the seat of Government, or might be consigned, if it should be found expedient, to examiners in Sydney or Melbourne. • As a qualification for becoming a candidate, and so being admitted to the examination, each applicant should have furnished, before a specified period, written testimonials of good character, such testimonials to have been approved and accepted by an authority designated for that purpose. The possession of good character, and of the literary attainments implied in a successful candidature, might be taken as a practically sufficient guarantee of gentlemanly demeanour. The examination of candidates for exhibition should, I think, be conducted in a somewhat similar method, as noticed above in the answer to Question No. 2. 4.] The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, and Edinburgh. The University of London has no Professors, and takes no charge of pupils ; and the same is the case as to the Queen's University in Ireland. These bodies merely examine, and give degrees ; for which purposes the Senate of the London University meets, and its examinations are held in apartments of Somerset House, Strand, London; and similarly the Senate of the Queen's University in Ireland, meets and its examinations are held in apartments of Dublin Castle. The Colleges named University College, London, and King's College, London, are, in their various characters, highly respectable and successful; and some similar commendation is due, in varying degrees, to the LTniversities of Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St. Andrew's ; to the Queen's Colleges in Belfast, Cork, and Galway; and also to the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne. But none of these institutions is altogether of such a kind as to supply the advantages adverted to above in the answer to Question No. 1. 5.] .€2OO (two hundred pounds). I may add that the period of a scholarship's continuance ought, I consider, to be five years. A period of more than three years after entrance is requisite, in order to graduation, in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and a period of more than four years in Dublin. 6.] The subjects of examination of the candidates for scholarship ought, I consider, to be compiled from the matriculation courses of the Universities selected. Without going into details, it may suffice to say that such a course would comprise the English language, a certain amount of Latin and Greek Literature, of Mathematics, History, and Geography, and, perhaps, something of Mental Science and of Natural Science. A candidate for scholarship ought, I consider, to be under twenty-one years of age ; but I should not be in favour of fixing the maximum at any smaller number of years. There should be a minimum of qualification for successful candidature, —to be ascertained, say, by means of a system of " marks" in the various departments of the subjects of examination. The qualification of good character and gentlemanly demeanour has been referred to above in the answer to Question No. 3. The holding of a scholarship from year to year ought, I consider, to be made conditional npon the fulfilment of certain requirements, the specification of which would vary according to the University. 7.] The establishment of a New Zealand University would surely be highly desirable. The annual cost of such an establishment would necessarily, I suppose, be nearly £10,000, including the interest of the money expended in the erection of hall, class-rooms, residences for Principal, &c., and the formation of a library, &c. The formation of an institution similar to the London University, which consists mainly of
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ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS
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