103

E.—7 A

The following table shows the percentage of students at each college according to their place of residence :—

In this classification the term " hostel " covers institutions conducted by the Y.M.C.A. and other philanthropic bodies ; neither Auckland nor Victoria College has a university hostel. The actual numbers of students at these colleges living away from home are :— Auckland. —215 men (34 day-students ; 181 evening students). 68 women (16 day-students ; 52 evening students). Victoria— 254 men (25 day-students ; 229 evening students). 98 women (22 day-students ; 76 evening students). A comparison between the cost of board for students living in hostels and those living elsewhere does not produce any conclusive evidence. From the figures supplied by Canterbury College students (men) it appears that the cost of living in a hostel exceeds private board by 3s. per week ; while the figures for Otago University show that residence in a hostel costs a student on an average Is. fid. per week less than private board in the case of men, and Is. less in the case of women. 9. Non-academic Activities. Students were asked to name their college activities, such as sports, student clubs, &c. The replies on this point are necessarily subject to the qualification indicated above in regard to private study—the subject is not readily susceptible to precise tabulation. It is, however, not unreasonable to assume that in the aggregate the replies give a fairly correct indication of the extent to which students fail to participate in such activities. The replies have been grouped under four headings according as to whether they indicate that the student takes part in— (a.) No non-scholastic activities at college. (b.) Athletic activities only. (o.) Intellectual activities (debating, &c.) only. (d.) Both athletic and intellectual activities. Excluding training-college students (who to a large extent will be associated with these activities at their college) it is found that 43 per cent, of the students, on their own statement, take no part in non-scholastic activities at college; that 31 per cent, come within group (b), 10 per cent, within group (c), and 16 per cent, within group (d) —indicating that only 47 per cent, even claim to take part in athletics, and only 26 per cent, in student activities of an intellectual type. The percentage of men whose replies come within group (a)—no activities —is 46 per cent., while the percentage of the women is 32; the percentage coming within (d) —activities of both types —is, men 14 per cent., women 24 per cent. It does not appear that the failure to secure general participation by students in this side of college life is wholly due to the fact that a large proportion are only evening students, for of the fulltime students 28 per cent, in the case of men, 24 per cent, in the case of women, describe themselves as taking no part in student activities, and less than one-fourth of the full-time men and only onehalf of the full-time women include in their replies any student activities of an intellectual type. Moreover, comparison between the various colleges with widely different proportions of full-time students does not support the perhaps reasonable a priori assumption that interest in student activities varies in direct proportion to the number of students free from outside employment during their college days. Thus the percentage of students who indicate that they take part in athletic and in intellectual student activities are, —• (The figure in brackets shows the percentage of full-time students at the college.) Auckland .. .. (17 per cent.); athletic, 25 per cent. ; intellectual, 27 per cent. Victoria .. .. (17 per cent.); athletic, 51 per cent. ; intellectual, 30 per cent. Canterbury .. .. (32 per cent.); athletic, 44 per cent. ; intellectual, 22 per cent. Otago .. .. .. (56 per cent.); athletic, 65 per cent. ; intellectual, 28 per cent. Only 11 per cent. (Auckland), 21 per cent. (Victoria), 13 per cent. (Canterbury), and 19 per cent. (Otago) describe themselves as taking part in activities of both types, while the percentages who show no activities at all are 59, 40, 47, and 26 respectively.

Auckland. Victoria. Canterbury. Otago. ■ ) I ___ Men : — Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. At home ( . .... 70 54 59 44 Board ...... 26 36 26 36 In hostel ...... 4 10 15 20 Women: — At home ...... 77 60 62 42 Board ...... 17 23 16 10 In hostel ...... 6 17 22 48