F.—No. 1.

would thus not be confined to a few boys near the head of the school, but owing to the fact that provision is made for the examination of juniors as well as of seniors, it would be felt throughout the entire body of the school, from the highest to the lowest form. The effect of such a competition upon the minds of boys, their parents, and their masters, has been found by experience to be most beneficial. I have no doubt that the University of Melbourne or Sydney would, if applied to, gladly consent to extend its sphere of usefulness, and willingly co-operate with the Government of New Zealand in carrying out some such scheme as that I have suggested, if it be deemed advisable to do so. 3.] The Government should be careful to reserve to itself the power of withholding any scholarship, exhibition, or prize, in case no candidate succeed in thoroughly satisfying the examiners, who, as I have said, ought in my opinion, to be the Professors of either the University of Melbourne or that of Sydney. The examinations would necessarily have to be conducted entirely on paper, and ought to be carried on simultaneously in the different schools of the Colony. 4.] From my answers to Questions 1 and 2 it will be seen that I am opposed to the project of sending boys from New Zealand to any of the European Universities, as I am opinion that the disadvantages of such a measure would far outweigh its advantages, direct and indirect. Until some decision is come to with regard to an University or Central College for New Zealand, I think that the best temporary expedient would be to found scholarships in connection with the University of Melbourne. It is near at hand, and residence is not compulsory, so that a scholar could remain with his relations and friends in New Zealand, and go over to Melbourne once or twice a-ycar to pass the necessary examinations, and eventually take a degree. Besides, as far as one can judge from the Examination Papers, the course of study required at the University of Melbourne is quite as wide, and the necessary standard for a degree quite as high as at any of the British Universities. 5.] If it be determined to found scholarships, tenable at the English Universities, I think that £150 per annum should be the utmost value of such a scholarship. At Oxford and Cambridge, (I speak from certain knowledge as regards the latter), there are so many scholarships and exhibitions open to competition that any youth of more than mere average ability may safely count upon receiving from £60 to .£IOO per annum from the particular College which he may select, if he choose to exert himself. A larger sum than that 1 have mentioned I should regard as a strong incentive to idleness, and calculated to defeat the end for which it was granted. Eor scholarships at the Melbourne University .£IOO per annum wotild, in my opinion, be ample. Such an amount would represent what a boy would get in an office on leaving school, and give him enough besides to visit Melbourne once a-year, and pay the necessary fees at the University. 6.] As Mr. Simmons in his petition prays " that he and the other Head Masters of public schools in New Zealand may be examined by your honourable House as to the subjects and limitations of the competitions for the said scholarships," I presume that I am not called upon to state in detail my opinions on this point. I may say generally, that I think that the examination should be of a similar character to that for the degree of Associate of Arts in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, omitting the department of Practical Science and Art, i.e., that it should embrace three schools : —lst. That of general English. 2nd. That of languages, to include Latin, Greek, and French or German. 3rd. That of Mathematics, both pure and applied. The main difficulty lies in fixing the relative values of the different subjects, in other words, in determining the proportion of marks to be allotted to each. 7.] I think that it is premature yet to think of establishing a New Zealand University. If one were established, the degrees conferred by it would be almost valueless, as is the case with the degrees of young Universities in America. In my opinion, the population of New Zealand is too small and her material wealth as yet too undeveloped to justify her in attempting to found an University. At the same time, one or two central or higher Colleges might be established, each with a staff' of competent Professors, who would deliver courses of lectures, and act as a Supreme Board of Examiners for all the schools throughout New Zealand. If we had such a body on the spot there would be no necessity for affiliating the schools of New Zealand to the University of Melbourne, as I have suggested in my reply to Question 2. Although such a Board could not grant degrees, it could give certificates of merit and confer such a title as Associate of Arts. In course of time, such an institution or combination of institutions, (for it might be necessary to multiply them), would, no doubt, develop itself into an University, when it was found that an University was really required. *** With regard to portion of Question 2, viz., " the encouragement within the existing schools of the Colony of a higher class of studies than that which the pupils generally can now ■be induced to prosecute," I may perhaps be allowed to state, that a very important step in this direction would, in my opinion, be taken, if the appointments of the Civil Service of New Zealand were, as is now the case in England, thrown open to public competition. Such prizes as these are prizes that almost all would work for, and all would value; and if after promotion in the service from one grade to another were made to depend also partly upon examinations, a

14

REPORT OP THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE