E.—7A

104

10. " Mortality " in Examinations. (a.) College Examinations. Returns with respect to 1924 show that of the students who enrolled and actually attended at least some lectures 17 per cent, in the case of the day-students and 30 per cent, in the case of the evening students failed to keep college terms. The following table gives the figures for each subject under review, and also indicates (column (c) the mortality amongst " freshmen ": —

In the returns for four subjects—English, Education, History, and Philosophy —training-college students were distinguished from other evening students, but on the whole no difference in the percentage of failures is disclosed, (b.) University of New Zealand Examinations. The figures immediately preceding show that the college terms requirements exercise a relatively Stern selective influence on freshmen compared with non-freshmen and on evening students compared with day-students. It is perhaps not surprising to find that the results of the degree examinations conducted by the University of New Zealand show no significant difference between these groups. In the degree examinations the failures amount to 13 per cent, of the students who attended college lectures ; the percentage of freshmen is 12 ; of day-students it is 12, and of evening students 13. Allowance, must, of course, be made for the greater elimination of evening students and freshmen in college examinations, but even then there is no appreciable difference between the success of these students and the success of others in the degree examinations. A marked difference does, however, occur as between subjects. The following indicate the number of failures in the University of New Zealand's degree examination, expressed as percentages of the enrolment in the various subjects at the four colleges, 1924 : English, 18 per cent. ; Education, 9 per cent.; History, 4 per cent.; Philosophy, 7 percent.; Latin, 15 per cent.; French, 17 per cent.; Economics, 5 per cent. ; Pure Mathematics, 20 per cent. ; Applied Mathematics, 16 per cent. ; Physics, 7 per cent. ; Chemistry, 11 per cent. ; Botany, 6 per cent. ; Law subjects, 16 per cent. Duration of Course prior to Degrees.—The following shows the average length of the course taken by University students who graduated in 1925 : — Degree. Years in Course. Degree. Years in Course. B.A. .. .. .. 3'9 M.B. or Ch.B. .. .. 6-0 B.Sc 4-1 MA 5-3 LL.B. .. .. .. 5-1 M.Sc. .. .. .. 5-4 The most useful comparison is that between full-time and part-time students, and this is made with respect to the degrees of B.A. and B.Sc. For the former degree the average length of the course was 3-3 years for full-time students, and 4-2 years for part-time students ; for the B.Sc. degree the figures are 3.8 years and 4-9 years respectively. Otherwise expressed : of the 166 students who gained these degrees, 68 were full-time students and 98 were evening students during the greater part of their course, and 70 per cent, of full-time students, compared with 37 per cent, of evening students, completed in 3 years; 88 per cent, of full-time and 64 per cent, of evening students completed within 4 years.

(a.) (6.) (c.) Number enrolled. Percentage failed to keep Terms. Subject. Pai led Full Time. Part Time. Pull Time. Part Time. All Students. freshmen. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. English .. .. .. 156 340 19 31 27 32 Education .. .. .. 60 400 13 11 11 14 History .. .. .. 86 286 4 13 10 18 Philosophy .. .. 72 171 15 25 22 31 Latin .. .. .. 77 218 16 42 35 40 French .. .. .. 149 271 12 32 25 29 Economics .. .. .. 36 265 8 15 15 24 Pure Mathematics .. .. 130 124 24 64 44 40 Applied Mathematics .. 75 46 17 48 29 26 Physics .. .. .. 233 62 22 32 24 26 Chemistry .. .. .. 233 72 21 44 27 28 Botany .. .. .. 88 36 1 8 3 12 Law subjects* .. .. 46 428 43 48 48 50 Totals .. .. 1,441 2,709 17 30 25 31 * Contracts, Property (Part I), Jurisprudence, and Roman Law.