1..—13 a

III

REPORT OF INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF SCHOOLS. Sir, — Education Department, Wellington, 17th July, 1913. In regard to the petitions on the matter of University reform—namely, No. 13, petition of Adamson, James, and 27 others; No. 14, petition of Wild, Leonard J., and 90 others; No. 15, petition of Church, Robert, and 23 others, No. Ifi, petition of Dellow, Kenneth, J., and 84 others; No. 17, petition of Hon. Sir G. M. O'Rorke and 21 others; No. 18, petition of Wall, Arnold, and 5 others —I have the honour to reply as follows : — In 1910 Professor Thomas H. Laby and 25 others petitioned Parliament for an inquiry into the state of University administration and education in New Zealand. In regard to the matter of that petition I had the honour to address a reply t<> the Clerk to the Committee, as follows :— " Sir,— " 20th October, 1910. " In reference to the petition of Thomas H. Laby, H. B. Kirk, and others, I have the honour to say that as the whole matter of the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees is now under the consideration of a special recess committee of the Senate of the University of New Zealand, which has power to call a conference of professors of the four University Colleges, and as the question of these degrees involves also most of the matters that form the subject of the petition, I hardly deem it expedient at present that an inquiry should be held into the state of University administration and education in New Zealand, but suggest that time should be given to see what may be the result of the labours of the recess committee and of the conference of professors referred to. " I have, dfec, " G. HOQBEN, " The Clerk to the Education Committee." " Inspector-General of Schools. Subsequently, by the permission of the House, the petition was deferred until the session of 191] for fuller investigation. On the 11th August, 1911, 1 was requested to furnish the Education Committee with any further information bearing on the matter which might be in my possession. I replied in the following letter : — " Petition nf Thomas 11. Laby nnd Others. " Sir, — " Education Department, Wellington, 17th August, 1911. " In reply to your letter of the 11th August, 1911, I have the honour to attach, for the information of the Committee, the report of the recess committee of the Senate of the University iif New Zealand on B.A. and B.Sc. degrees presented in January last. The report was based on the recommendation of a conference of Professorial Boards; it was considered by the Senate at its last meeting in January, 1911, when the following resolution was passed : — " ' That the consideration of the scheme proposed in this report be postponed till next annual meeting of Senate, and that in the meantime copies of the scheme be forwarded to the Professorial Boards and the Courts of Convocation for their advice thereon, with a request that they should express their opinions on the following points in particular : — " ' (1.) Whether the present degrees of B.A. and B.Sc. lie amalgamated. " ' (2.) 'Ihe repetition of two subjects. " ' (3.) The desirability of the Professorial Boards approving of the courses to be taken by students. " ' (4.) The several limitations of the selection of subjects in the report. " ' (5.) If amalgamation is approved of, ought the B.Sc. degree to be retained as a special science degree? " ' (6.) What, if any, subjects should be compulsory? ' " I shall be happy to give any further details the Committee may require. * "I have, &c, " G. HOGBEN, " Inspector-General of Schools. " The Clerk of the Education Committee, House of Representatives " On the 25th October, 1911, after hearing evidence, the Committee reported (1.-13 a, 1911), and the report was ordered to be printed : — " REPORT. " Petitioners pray for the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the question of reform in University administration and education in New Zealand. " I am directed to report that the Education Committee, having considered this petition, and the evidence of the petitioners and others in relation thereto, is of opinion— " (1.) That a case has been made out for reform in the constitution of the New Zealand University, more particularly in the direction of the utilization in a larger measure than at present of the professorial staffs of the colleges in the framing of curricula and syllabuses, and in the conduct of examinations. " (2.) That the appointment of a Royal Commission is not necessary at present, as the Committee believes there is evidence that the University is itself moving in a direction which will gradually evolve a scheme of reform on the lines indicated, and this is borne out to some extent by the fact that in November, 1910, in accordance with a resolution of the Senate, a conference of representatives of the Professorial Boards was held in Wellington to consider certain academic questions referred to it by the Senate.